


Full Circle

by iceberry, RonnieSilverlake



Series: We Never Change [2]
Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Awkwardness, Emotional, Fluff, Interrogation, M/M, Multi, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-12 08:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceberry/pseuds/iceberry, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonnieSilverlake/pseuds/RonnieSilverlake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aphrodi finally leaves the hospital, all he has planned is to say his goodbyes and thank you-s to the Raimon team (and especially its captain), and then return to Zeus before visiting home. He wouldn't have guessed how many surprises he is in for before he can even begin on his way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Evening at the Riverbank

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: This fic is a paragraph roleplay put into fanfiction form - therefore, the point of view changes with each paragraph (although the entire thing is written in third person).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodi is written by Abby, Endou is written by Ronnie.

Today's practice had been good, but also exhausting. Then again, good practices were always exhausting, especially for someone like Endou, who always worked himself to the very end of his limits. Honestly, if it was a little warmer, he could have fallen asleep right there, laying in the grass, but even if it wasn't particularly chilly, the breeze coming from over the river was enough to keep him awake. So he just lay there, staring up at the reddening sky as the sun went lower and lower, his schoolbag next to him on the ground, and his soccer ball held between his slightly pulled-up knees. He'd missed peaceful evenings like this... things had been way too hectic lately.

When Aphrodi reached the top of the hill and saw that his guess had been right, a small smile spread across his face. Before walking down the steps, he paused to look out across the river. It was a sight he'd missed in the past weeks, along with the air, the way the breeze felt through his hair - of course, he had been allowed on the roof with proper supervision, but the hospital had a way of dulling the small pleasures he'd felt there. With a bit of a hop in his step, he started down the steps, then across the field - straight toward's Raimon's captain. Who, for all intents and purposes, was in his own world. Not bothering to call out any greetings, he sat down next to Endou, stretching his legs out in front of him.

Having almost dozed off, it was no surprise that Endou was a little startled when someone just decided to sit down right next to him; however, upon turning his head, and finding out just who it was, a wide smile spread quickly across his features. "Aphrodi!" he exclaimed, beaming at the blond, and propping himself up on his elbows. "I didn't know you were allowed out finally! How are you?" The soccer ball began sliding towards the river; Endou quickly caught it in between his ankles, and tugged it back up to himself, now sitting up properly.

Aphrodi returned the smile, a warm feeling that he hadn't felt in weeks spreading through him again. Although Endou had visited him, it had been a week or so since they'd talked last, and Aphrodi hadn't realized how much he'd missed him. Then again, he'd had more to worry about then. "Yeah, I was released this morning," he replied. "I would've come by sooner but I had to go home for a bit earlier." He fell quiet for a second, looking out at the sunset before realizing with a hint of chagrin that he hadn't even answered Endou's query. "I'm fine, don't worry. I just have to take it easy for a bit," he added, with his tone changing a bit to something a bit more akin to disappointment. Not being able to play to his fullest extent was annoying, as hard as he'd try not to complain about it - after all, he'd been lucky as far as his injuries were concerned.

Endou couldn't help but laugh out as he heard the undertone of disappointment in the blond's voice. "Taking it easy is not a bad thing!" he said lightly, turning his face back towards the sky. It was almost fully crimson red now; another twenty minutes, and it would be dark. "That must be weird, coming from me, huh..." he said, his voice softening a little bit. "But actually, it's you who made me realize that!"

Aphrodi raised an eyebrow at Endou's words, and couldn't stop himself from letting a small laugh escape from his mouth. It was the oddest thing to hear those words from Endou, of all people. "I made you realize that?" He shifted his weight so he could face the goalkeeper, leaning on one arm and facing Endou more directly, the smile both questioning and warm. "You've got me curious now, care to explain?"

Endou's smile waned a little, but just the slightest bit. He hoped Aphrodi wouldn't misunderstand; he'd long since gotten over the thing with Team Zeus, so this wasn't about their relentlessness, even though it was applicable there, too. "Yeah... I'm really grateful for what you did, for us, and especially for Fubuki... but when you were taken away injured, I kind of wished... that there had been another way... I know why you did it, and I would have probably done the same for my friends, but seeing _other people_ get hurt like that..." He let out a sigh, and dropped back into the grass on his back, his fingers folded behind his head. "I always thought, as long as soccer was fun, everything would be okay... that even if it's a competition, we can still have fun... but then, somewhere along the way, it felt like, the stronger we became, the bigger the challenges were, up till the point where if you didn't push yourself to your limits, everything would be lost... and I don't mean the matches, but, I kept losing my friends, and I kept thinking 'if only I tried a little harder'... but, maybe in the end, I should have tried a little _less_ , don't you think?"

Aphrodi blinked a bit, but he didn't look away. He didn't respond, mostly because of a lack of words that seemed appropriate to answer with; they were there but just beyond his grasp. He couldn't pull his eyes off of Endou, or look away from how open and honest his friend was being to him. They were close, true, but nothing Endou had shared with him had been as difficult for the blond to process. All the same, he felt himself talking. "No, I don't think that." The sincerity in his own voice surprised him a little, and he paused to try and gather his thoughts a bit more. "I think the only reason we were able to suceed was because you kept trying harder and harder. People would've gotten hurt more if you hadn't been there to rally us together." Aphrodi frowned a bit and looked out across the river for a second before turning back to Endou. "I think you did great, personally."

Endou felt his cheeks heat up a little at the blond's last words, but still he didn't look back at him. "Ahaha, thank you..." What was he even supposed to say to that? "I guess I'm not all that bad at soccer, after all..." He had to laugh at how falsely modest that sentence sounded; after all, weren't they the best junior high school soccer team in Japan, _and_ having just levelled up enough to beat a team that's been trained against magically enhanced players?! Still, that wasn't what really mattered, here. "But I'm not all that great as a captain, Aphrodi." Now he glanced at the other; he was captain at Zeus, he had to understand what Endou meant. "I can keep standing up, and I can keep yelling 'hang in there', but that's about it, isn't it? If I'd noticed sooner that my friends were falling back... I knew something was wrong with Fubuki, but I had no idea what to do about it, or how to bring it up, and so you had to hold your back for him, for all of us... so in the end, both of you got hurt in the process..."

Once again, Aphrodi was visibly surprised by Endou's words, but unlike before, he had a better idea of how to respond. He laughed a bit at the captain's ridiculous modesty; truly that was the understatement of the century. Once again, he shifted his position, swinging his legs around to cross them, resting his elbows on his knees and chin in his hands. He looked down at Endou. "There are different captains for different teams, you know." He shrugged a bit. "It's not a one-size-fits-all sort of position, as lousy of a captain as I was, I would know." Aphrodi's thoughts flickered to Zeus for a moment, wondering how the team was holding up - but he shook himself out of those thoughts, and back to the situation at hand. "I think the reason that Raimon's such a special team is because you play your role - you keep everyone moving and that's all you really need to do." He looked away for a moment, flushing a tiny bit - had he said too much? "You could keep asking yourself the what-ifs, but I don't think it will do any good."

"You mean, because I'm not smart enough to figure it out anyways, right?" Now Endou was downright teasing; he knew Aphrodi didn't mean it like that - but, well, that was how he had felt on a couple occasions; that it just didn't work out because _he_ wasn't smart enough to help the others. "I'm not sure _how_ I'm doing it, y'know?" he said then, voice once again serious. "There's nothing special about me... Sometimes I'm not sure what makes them trust me." He chanced another look at Aphrodi. "Sorry for just dumping that on you... I guess I sort of felt like... you'd be able to answer that more easily than someone who's been in Raimon from the very start... I mean, you had to have a reason to trust me, despite us having been on the opposite side before, right?" He glanced away. "Though I really shouldn't view it like that... After all, now you're one of Raimon, just like everyone else. I'm not supposed to differentiate like that."

Aphrodi started a bit, but when he realized Endou was just poking fun at the way he'd chosen his words he relaxed a bit. All the same, he felt a hint of guilt for his words - he could have phrased that better. "No, I don't mind at all," Aphrodi said softly, shaking his head. "You're my friend, after all. And teammate," the blonde added with a smile, his chest having tightened a bit with sentiment when Endou referred to him as one of Raimon. He took another pause, though this time he didn't look away from Endou. "I trust you because you helped me understand how wrong, I was. And you're wrong," he continued, tone becoming serious again. "You're special, that's how you helped me. There's something about you that puts people at ease, that allows them to be honest. That's just _you_ , there's not really any other way to put it." His words came out a bit rushed, the flush growing a shade darker - he'd definitely said too much.

Endou felt a light blush creep up his own cheeks, first when Aphrodi called him his friend (after all, wasn't that a little more meaningful than just comrades? Or was he thinking too much into it?), then when the other explained why he trusted him, and so on. Endou wasn't sure he could feel he deserved those words, not after how much hardship they'd all went through. Then again, if he did want to be a good captain, sooner or later, he had to let go of the guilt, too - even if he had already succeeded in deciding not to ever give up. "Just me, huh?" he repeated softly, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "That doesn't explain everything, though, Aphrodi... I'm glad I could help you see that what you were doing was wrong, and that you guys could be honest to yourself, and stopped following Kageyama... but just that, it didn't have to make you decide to come and help us, huh? You weren't compelled to fight on our side, you could have just... moved on, found your own goals, I don't know..."

Once again, Aphrodi was rendered speechless. Endou _did_ have a point there. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Zeus to help him (especially so soon after the team had finally recovered a bit), but there had been something about the situation that made him feel like he couldn't sit still. All the same, he couldn't find the right words to explain the emotions he had felt walking onto the field the day he joined Raimon. It would've been easy to simply turn around and go back the Zeus, they would have welcomed him back immediately. But he had been drawn to the team - no, drawn to Endou - like a moth to a flame. The silence between them had stretched on for quite a bit, Aphrodi realized with a bit of a shock. He'd been distracted by his own thoughts, but he wasn't sure if he could quite bring himself to vocalize them. Lifting his head from his hands, Aphrodi crossed his arms across his chest as if trying to keep warm. As the sun had gone down, so had the temperature, and the clothes he'd worn upon his dismissal from the hospital weren't terribly appropriate for the cool night air. Attempting to ignore the slight chill, Aphrodi shrugged a bit, trying to pick his words carefully. "It's hard to explain, I guess. I didn't really have any other goals, to be honest, and I'm not sure what ones I would have found if I'd bothered looking. Either way, I'm glad I fought with you guys." He smiled again. "Really glad."

Endou was never very good at reading body language (or, if he was, he understood it more on an instinctive level instead of being able to put into words what he was witnessing), but still he could tell that in some sort of way, Aphrodi was uncomfortable. The goalkeeper wondered whether the other had some special reason for joining that was hard to share, and was on the verge of just taking the question back, when the blond finally responded, and even though Endou didn't get an actual clear response, he still felt a little relieved. "Well, I'm really glad you joined us, too!" he exclaimed cheerfully, sitting up in the grass once again, and beginning to unzip his jacket without even seeming to pay any attention to what he was doing. "You really were a lifesaver for the team back then... we were in quite a pinch, haha..." His expression completely matter-of-fact as he moved, he slipped out of the jacket, and wrapped it around Aphrodi's shoulders. "You could've at least got a sweater on, you know."

He could feel his face heating up quickly as the coat was laid over his shoulders, and was thankful that the sun was starting to dip further and further below the horizon. Aphrodi gently tugged it a bit tighter as he muttered his thanks, before turning to face Endou again (once he was convinced his face was slightly less red than a tomato) . "It's not like I really had any need for a sweater earlier," he replied with the hint of a tease in his voice and in his eyes. "I'm sure you guys would've made it through alright without me. I was just an assist for you all, remember?" The breeze picked up a hint, making the last sun on the water ripple and Aphrodi's hair blow about. Again, he tugged the jacket closer, noting quietly to himself that it smelled just like Endou, all grass and fresh air and...! Aphrodi moved his gaze away from Endou, mentally chastising himself for thinking such a weird thing about his friend.

Once again, Endou noticed the other's movements; at first, an eyebrow was raised, "I thought you said you went home first? If you were going for a walk in the evening afterwards, you could have thought of it...", but then his arm was already raising, a palm covering Aphrodi's back, and beginning to rub it gently up and down. "You're still cold..." the brunette murmured, shifting a little closer to the other, just so his arm would be in a more comfortable position. "Can't have you catch a cold when you were just released from the hospital..." He had to blink a few times as the wind blew Aphrodi's hair straight into his face; it smelled of something sweet, yet bitter at the same time - it reminded him of beeswax. "An assist can be a lifesaver at the right time!" he insisted meanwhile, swiping the mass of blond hair out of his face with his free hand, and tucking it over Aphrodi's shoulder. "We might have made it without you, but at the time, we didn't really believe we would, so your help was vital, no matter how I look at it."

Endou did bring up a good point about the sweater, though Aphrodi certainly wasn't going to admit that to him. When he placed his hand on Aphrodi's back, the blond froze up for a moment before relaxing; the rhythmic motion admittedly felt pretty good, though whether it would help warm him up could probably be debated. Without really paying much attention Aphrodi felt himself lean in towards Endou when the goalkeeper moved closer. Although he stiffened up once again when he realized what he'd done, he calmed down a tad when Endou didn't appear to mind. "I'm not gonna catch a cold," he said with a touch of indignity, though he wasn't really too upset - his concern was kind of endearing, if a little silly. When his hair blew about, he began to reach up to brush it away, but Endou beat him to the chase, and Aphrodi couldn't do much besides let him move the strands. "Well... thank you," he replied softly. "I'm glad I could help, if only for a short time." He looked out at the sun, which was barely reflected upon the river now that it was so low. "I wish I could've helped longer, but I did what could be done, right?"

Endou chuckled a little at Aphrodi's protest, but since he didn't seem to have any problem with his actions, he just kept doing what he'd been doing. As Aphrodi leaned closer, their shoulders touched together, and Endou could feel his own cheeks become a little hotter, though Aphrodi probably couldn't see it from that angle, since Endou was almost sitting behind his back. The last sentence was a little startling, though - so much so, that his palm stopped above the blond's right shoulder blade. "What... do you mean?" he asked, his voice a little uncertain. "You..." But by the time he would have finished the sentence, he realized it would have been stupid of him. _Of course._ He could have expected this to happen... after all, Aphrodi had only promised to assist them for a while... (Just like Kazemaru, he thought, and the memory sent a jolt of pain down into his chest.) "Ahh, you're going back to Zeus, right?" Somehow, the cheer in his voice didn't sound entirely genuine this time.

Aphrodi tilted his head to try and get a glimpse of the other's expression when Endou's hand stopped moving. The mood seemed to change immediately. "Yeah, for a bit." Absentmindedly he grabbed the sleeve of the jacket and rubbed the fabric between his fingers, thinking. "Then I'm thinking of heading home for a bit," Aphrodi said, purposely leaving where or what home was to be guessed - he'd never been the type to talk about his life story. He'd heard about the FFI during his hospital stay, and although it wasn't likely that he'd be able to make the Korean national team given his current abilities and health, he wanted to try all the same. (And if his gamble paid off, he would have two star players for the team; even if they had been the ones to injure him, they were good players, and the team could use them.) But that was still up in the air. Zeus, however, was a stop he needed to make for sure. Atena was probably doing a good job of keeping them in line (and that certainly was a herculean task given the clash of attitudes on that team), he wanted to be sure. They were his friends, despite the retrospectively awful circumstances in which they were all brought together, and he was their captain, even if he wasn't wearing the band at the moment. "They've been good to me, for some unfathomable reason. I need to pay them back, somehow."

Slowly, but surely, while Aphrodi talked, and the pauses in between, Endou began reminding himself where they were and what he'd been doing. His palm began to move again eventually, although at this point, he wasn't quite sure why he was doing it, or whether Aphrodi still wanted him to continue at all. "I see," was what he finally managed to say, after a pause, when the blond fell silent - then he flashed him his trademark grin, trying to ignore the unfathomable tightness in his chest. "Well, say hi to them for me!" He finally let his hand drop back onto the ground, moving back to his earlier spot, and leaning back to stare at the slowly appearing stars on the night sky. "It's been fun, hasn't it?" he asked softly. "I could tell, from the way you kicked the ball, even when you were on Kageyama's side... that you really do love soccer, yourself."

Aphrodi nodded once, slowly. "I'm sure they'll be glad to hear from you. They're thankful too." When he felt Endou's hand move from his back, he looked over in surprise. That grin was still there, but Aphrodi didn't buy it for a minute. Something was off - Aphrodi felt it too, but it seemed to be hurting the brunette more than him. When Endou shifted over again, and the gap between them widened, a heavy feeling came over him. His brown eyes followed Endou's gaze to the stars, but didn't look up very long before he focused on Endou's face again, frowning a bit when he noticed how sad the goalkeeper's eyes looked. "Mhm, it's been a lot of fun. But don't talk about it like it's all over!" Aphrodi's voice perked up a bit, partially fake optimism and partially a genuine tone of cheeriness that stemmed from his concern for the shorter boy. "Just because I'm going back for now doesn't mean we won't be able to stay in touch, you know." He stared at Endou for another moment before following his example and leaning back so their heads were closer. He spoke again, voice softer this time. "Are you okay? You're acting strange all of the sudden."

"Eh? Sure, I'm fine!" Endou blinked at Aphrodi, a slight smile still on his lips. He couldn't bring himself to grin broadly anymore, not even dishonestly. He hated being dishonest in any manner anyways. Sure, he could call... but that wasn't the same as kicking the ball together... or... sitting under the stars like this, and talking about important things. _Why_ he felt more at ease with Aphrodi like this than with any of his comrades he'd known for ages (with one exception, that is), he wouldn't have been able to tell, but... he was going to miss it something terrible, that was for certain. "Just..." What did he really want to say, in the end? It wasn't like he could tell Aphrodi he wanted him to stay. He had no right to hold him back when he had a home someplace else. Just like he hadn't had the right to tell Gouenji anything else back than other than _'come home when you can'_. But Gouenji had been there from the start, and Aphrodi... might have never really felt like one of them, to be honest. "Just don't forget that you're now one of us, too, 'kay?" he asked, voice soft. "Whatever team you become a part of, once you're a part of the Raimon Eleven, you're **always** a part of it. You'll... always have a place here, as a comrade, among us." And a place in the corner of Endou's heart, but he didn't have appropriate words to voice that part.

Aphrodi returned the smile with a sad one, unable to muster up even his usual cheekiness. Endou's words had left an odd feeling in his chest, like there was a weight pinning him down. His mouth felt dry as Endou spoke, though his eyes felt oddly damp and he was thankful for the timing of the darkness. A distance behind them, the streetlights flickered on. "Of course I wouldn't forget that," Aphrodi replied, though he barely got the words out. Each breath he took seemed to hurt a bit more, and a glance at Endou's face felt like a knife in his gut. He averted his eyes, and let the sounds of the night replace his words for a moment; the crickets seemed to express what he was feeling better than he'd be able to. "Thanks, Endou." The words sounded so shallow compared to what the other boy had said to him, but it was the most he could muster out. A moment passed, and without thinking, wrapped his arms around Endou. Immediately he regretted it, wished that he had thought the embrace through a bit more before diving into it and yet...he didn't want to let go.

Endou felt as if all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs - even though the hug wasn't even tight. On the contrary, it felt hesitant, as if Aphrodi would change his mind and pull away at any moment, as if suddenly frightened of his own nerves (a funny thought, really, Endou thought idly, considering this was Aphrodi out of everyone) - but he couldn't let that happen, could he? Even if he would have been just as hesitant as the other... his body seemed to move on its own, much like how Aphrodi's had seemed to do. His arms raised, and he reciprocated the embrace; and not only that, but he pulled the blond even closer, tightening what originally had been a hesitant, feather-light touch, into an actual embrace. His mind seemed to have blanked out somewhere along the way; he had no idea what to say, or if there was even a thing that could be said at this point... so he just kept him close, and relished in the feel of the knot in his chest having loosened up a little bit, though he still didn't quite understand why.

When Endou pulled him closer, Aphrodi let out a sigh of relief that seemed to release much more than a bit of nervousness about a hug. All of the worry that had built up in the past minutes seemed to dissipate, if only for a moment. He laid his head in the crook of Endou's neck, feeling like perhaps this was crossing some kind of line of friendship, but not caring all that much. Endou was warm, and holding him just felt _right_ , perhaps more right than anything else Afuro Terumi had felt in his entire life. "Sorry... is this weird?" He muttered into Endou's shirt, ready to move if the answer was yes, but all of him hoping it was a no and part of him certain that it felt just as right for the brunette.

As he felt Aphrodi relax against him, Endou seemed to reflect the motion himself, allowing his muscles to release their tension as the blond's head settled against his shoulder. He found himself smiling a little. "A bit," he responded without hesitation, but before the other could do a thing, he reached above his shoulder, and with a grin, he tucked some of the mass of blond hair onto the other side, away from his nose where it'd been tickling him. "Okay, now it's not." And he wasn't lying - it really didn't feel weird. All he felt was contentedness, and a lingering feeling of sadness at the mere thought that eventually he would need to let go of the other. And then... even though he had tried _so hard_ to not be selfish... it would have worked with anyone else, any of his comrades, but, for some reason, not with Aphrodi... the words just slipped out. "I wish you could just stay..." And then another moment later he was flailing, eyes wide, as if sure to be told off for it instantly. "I-I mean, I just... ah, forget it... that was really selfish of me, never mind..." And still he wasn't pushing the other away... albeit he had loosened his arms, so as to let Aphrodi know he wouldn't hold him back if _he_ wanted to pull away.

Although not out of any spite, Aphrodi did pull away a bit, but only to look directly into Endou's eyes. Placing a hand on each shoulder, he faced Raimon's captain head-on, his look so intense he was hardly blinking. His expression wasn't sad, or particularly happy - only confused and a little bittersweet. "That's... that's not selfish at all, you know." His words came out soft, even the slight jab less harsh than usual. Their faces were closer than Aphrodi had planned for, but still he didn't move, and continued to meet Endou's wide-eyed look. "It's actually...," he trailed off, blushing a bit again and looking off to the side before catching Endou's gaze again. "It's actually really nice, in a way."

"N-Not selfish?" Well, Endou wasn't quite convinced. Aphrodi needed to go, that was a fact, and making it harder for him wasn't going to change anything, except making the blond feel bad. However... he didn't seem to be feeling bad, did he? As a matter of fact, he almost seemed... pleased by what Endou had said... although, at the same time, he was teasing him (something that earned him a tomato-red blush on Endou's cheeks in a matter of seconds), so he couldn't be completely sure about how seriously he meant it. Then again... there was a way to make sure, but... the thought alone made Endou's blush deepen even further, and he was glad Aphrodi wasn't looking his way at that specific moment, because he definitely wouldn't have had the courage for this if he was. "Well, if that wasn't selfish, how about this...?" And in one swift movement, he pushed a hand under Aphrodi's chin, lifted it a little, and pressed his own lips against the blond's. It was a chaste, and rather short kiss, but Endou was already feeling like he had just crossed all the lines possible.

Aphrodi wasn't sure what he had expected when he decided to look for Endou that afternoon, but his lips on Endou's was definitely not it - though the emotions he was feeling at the moment were the exact antithesis of disappointment. What he was feeling was inexplicable, and though he was too shocked to reciprocate, he practically melted against Endou. When Endou pulled away, Aphrodi couldn't do anything but stare for a moment, his face warmer than it had ever been before (he was certain it couldn't get any redder either). He took a deep breath before talking, but his words came out shaky all the same. "Something that's selfish only benefits the person doing the selfish thing, so there's no way that was selfish." Before waiting for Endou to question that, he continued, a tiny smirk on his face. "If it was selfish I wouldn't haven't enjoyed it so much." Suddenly feeling bold (or at least more bold than the moment when he initiated the hug), he leaned towards Endou, and wrapped his arms around his neck - bringing their lips together again in the same motion.

That wasn't quite the reply Endou had been expecting... so much not, that when he suddenly found Aphrodi in his arms again, he ended up losing his balance, and he fell back onto the grass, bringing the blond with himself, since he still had his arms around him. For someone who could kick soccer balls with such force, Aphrodi's weight on top of him seemed almost nothing. Endou didn't hesitate at all in reciprocating the kiss, but when they were finally out of air, breaking apart, he stared up at Aphrodi with a mixture of awe and sadness. "Maybe you're right... but, in the end..." His voice dropped so low, it was barely above a whisper. "... with you still having to go, we're only causing pain to ourselves, nothing more, isn't that right?"

Aphrodi's face fell a bit, but not entirely. He shifted over, moving off of Endou to lay next to him in the grass. Their faces couldn't have been more than a few inches apart, Aphrodi reflected, then realized what a stupid thing that was to think about when he'd been _kissing_ Endou scarce seconds ago. "I'd expect a more optimistic outlook from you, of all people," Aphrodi said quietly, though there wasn't anyone anywhere nearby to hear them. "Endou, I think I love you." Aphrodi managed to keep his face straight for a few seconds before he laughed a bit, though it seemed out of place given the situation. "Though I think I was supposed to say that before the kiss... just because I'm going for now doesn't mean I'm going for good," he continued, moving closer so their noses were practically touching. There was a surreal air to the whole situation. Twenty minutes ago, if even that, Aphrodi had been mentally scolding himself for thinking about how nice Endou smelled, but looking back, that was just... silly. He'd known all along how he felt if he'd really been honest, but unlike Endou, he wasn't afraid to admit it because he was leaving - he'd left too many places before to let that get him down - but because he was worried that he'd ruin their relationship as it was. "If you don't want to... y'know, then we don't have to but... I think we should try this, distance or not." His words were resolute, and for once, Aphrodi was absolutely certain of something, and his conflidence was backed up with feelings he'd never expected to embrace.

Endou opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Aphrodi was right - about everything. What he would have originally said, was something like, 'it's hard to be optimistic when the one you love is leaving'. But, really... it didn't have to be forever, right? Now that he thought a little more about it, Endou realized that what really bothered him was the fact that this time around, he couldn't simply change things by sheer willpower - and that was where his optimism usually came from. He rolled on his side, and smiled at Aphrodi - and this time, the smile was fully genuine. "Yeah... me too." Now he couldn't explain either, why it had felt so selfish. It would have been, if it was unrequited. But it wasn't, as miraculous as that was. "It'll work out if we try our best, right?" The smile widened into his trademark grin; now it was something he could relate to well. Aphrodi had given him something to not give up on, and Endou was good at not giving up on things.

Aphrodi nodded, and met Endou's grin with a smile of his own, though his was more subdued (but no less joyful). He wasn't sure of what to say in response - Endou had pretty much summed it up. For some reason his thought trailed off in two directions at once. Him falling to his knees, giving up before the match with Raimon was even lost; him falling to the ground, Endou lifting him up gently after he had refused to give up to the point of foolishness, perhaps. More than anything, Endou had taught him to try harder, to not give up. When he'd been coming off of the aqua of the gods, weakened and unsure of how or if he'd get his power back, it was his memory of Endou's determined expression that had urged him on, the one that had infuriated him so much during the finals. And it was that determination that made Aphrodi so certain things would work out.

Though he was happy to get a smile in response, Aphrodi stayed quiet, and Endou's brows slowly furrowed together a little bit. They were still close to each other, laying on their backs in the grass, and Endou reached out to wrap an arm around the blond's shoulders. "What's..." he began, but his voice trailed away a moment later, his eyes widening a bit as something crossed his mind all of a sudden. "Damn-!" He sat up, looking around wide-eyed, and his fears seemed to come through a moment later. He'd forgotten about the ball! He'd let go of it when Aphrodi had kissed him, and it had rolled down the riverbank... into the river. Endou could still see it, but it was now on the other side of the bridge. "Well... I hope someone'll be happy to find that," he muttered, somewhat disappointed - but the moment they had just shared was still making him happy enough to not really mind, for once. (Though he knew his mom wasn't going to be happy...) He laid back in the grass next to Aphrodi with a little pout, but then turned back to him, circling his shoulders with his arm again, going back to his previous question. "What's on your mind?"

Aphrodi's eyes opened wide in concern when Endou swore, seemingly out of nowhere, and he couldn't help a sigh of relief when it ended up just being the ball. Although he wasn't sure what to do to ease the goalkeeper's disappointment at losing the ball (especially considering his kiss was likely what caused it to happen), but he hoped his presence was enough. When Endou wrapped his arm around him once again, he leaned into the touch. It felt...natural, for lack of a better word, not awkward at all. It was comfortable and warm, as though they'd just been waiting for each other - and maybe they had. The blond raised his eyebrows at Endou's question, as straightforward as it was, and his smile leaned more towards a smirk as he responded. "Well for one thing, you are." It was a fairly lousy attempt at a clever response, but given how even now his heart was pounding and head was spinning it was the best he could muster up.

Endou couldn't help but pout again, although it wasn't anywhere near serious. "And for another thing?" he asked again, leaning in to emphasize his curiosity with a bit of nuzzling into the blond's neck - this time he didn't even care that the other's hair got into his face again -, and pressing a small kiss against his cheek. "Come on, I want to know~"

Aphrodi laughed a little, but the giggle turned into a contented sigh as Endou kissed him. Once again his cheeks were flushed, but he didn't duck his head away or break their gaze. "And what if I said you were the only thing on my mind?" He gave Endou a wicked smile before laughing again. "This is probably going to sound odd considering what we just talked about..." And perhaps a bit rude, he added in his head, and momentarily considered not mentioning it. But no, he decided to keep talking anyways - Endou probably would understand better than anyone else. "But I really am looking forward to returning to Zeus, even if it does mean being away from you and all my friends on Raimon." His smile was bittersweet but his voice was clearly holding some anticipation. "You wouldn't know since the last time you saw them we were...well, you know, but they really mean a lot to me."

Endou contemplated that for a little while in silence, but nonetheless, he didn't let go of the other - on the contrary, he pulled him even closer to himself in a sort of one-armed hug. "I understand that..." he said in a soft murmur. "I never thought they were bad people, you know. I felt you guys weren't doing the right thing, but that's not the same..." There was a short pause. Endou thought about the Raimon team, and how tightly-knit they'd become throughout the past couple of weeks. Even if their cause was something he'd deemed unjust, he could understand that the team of Zeus was probably the same. "They probably miss you, too."

Knowing Endou, his words probably shouldn't have surprised Aphrodi, but he still felt a shock run through him at the brunette's response. Looking at it from a different angle, his response was natural coming from someone as kind and warm-hearted as Endou, but the idea of him not really thinking his teammates was bad was an oddly novel idea to Aphrodi, as silly as it sounded to think of it retrospectively. "In some ways I almost hope they miss me, though I'm not sure I'd be deserving of that." Turning away from Endou (though not moving from his embrace in the least) he looked up at the stars for a moment, thinking hard before chosing his words. "I wasn't a great captain, to be honest. I failed to see how wrong our actions were." Memories came to him as he talked - the match against Teikoku, their meetings with Kageyama. "And I know they must have felt betrayed when I came to help you. Yet they still respected me," he added softly.

Again, Endou was silent for a little bit, mulling his words over. For someone who usually blurted out the first thing on his mind, this was an unusual thing, but the topic was heavy, and he wanted to make sure Aphrodi knew exactly what he thought. "I don't think there was anything else you could do at the time, Aphrodi," he finally said. Meanwhile, he caught hold of one lock of blond hair, and curled it around one of his fingers. The end of the lock, twisted around, ended up right next to Aphrodi's ear shell, and as the goalkeeper moved his fingers a little, the hair ran down the sensitive skin; Endou had to fight hard to resist sniggering. A moment later, though, his thoughts were returning to the topic at hand again. "Kidou stood up to Kageyama when he realized how underhanded his methods are, and Kageyama still managed to twist it around in a way that eventually made his teammates resent him for a while... That man, he's just evil, but he could do anything..." Endou's free hand curled into a fist for a moment, then he made himself relax again, and he glanced at Aphrodi, smiling slightly. "I don't think you're a bad captain, Aphrodi. It's not just about giving orders and being respected by your teammates. They support you just as much as you support them. If you understand them, they understand you, too. It doesn't put you above them, nor underneath... You're just... the point of the arrowhead." He scratched at his cheek idly. "When I didn't know what to do, and felt really down, they pointed me in the right direction again. When I was hesitating at a crucial moment, Gouenji kicked me in the stomach with a ball to make me come to my senses." He curled the lock around his finger again, wrapping it up entirely. "If the arrow doesn't have a head, it just bounces off the target, but if it doesn't have the feathers, or the nook, it wouldn't even reach it. They won't think you betrayed them."

Aphrodi shivered a bit when the hair ran over his ear, but his focus returned to the conversation as soon as Endou started talking again. As sincere as Endou's words were, he had a difficult time believing them - which was certainly due to the thoughts that had been going through his head since he left. The idea of a team as an arrow made him look over at Endou again, pulling his gaze away from the sky. "An arrowhead, huh?" A small laugh came from his mouth, so quiet that if Endou hadn't been inches away he probably wouldn't have heard it. "I like that metaphor." He fell silent again, letting the words sink in, though they still were a bit hard for him to digest. He'd assumed that they'd feel betrayed by him - it would make sense, wouldn't it? They'd hardly been a team (at least a _real_ one, not one built on lies and false beliefs) for a few months when he'd left. But although Endou's words gave him a bit of comfort, he wasn't entirely sold on the idea either. All the same, he was grateful. "I hope you're right," he said, with a tinge of doubt in his voice.

Endou could feel that Aphrodi wasn't entirely convinced, but he also knew there wasn't much of anything else he could do about that. He obviously wouldn't be convinced by anything else at this point than seeing it with his own eyes; his teammates' reaction upon his return. A part of Endou wished he could be there. The thought was followed by another, and before he knew, he found himself saying, "I wanna rematch with you guys one day! I'm sure they're all good even without that stuff Kageyama made you drink!" And that reminded him of yet another thing; one he wasn't sure he should ask... but, then again, when could he stay silent when something was on his mind? "Say, Aphrodi... when you came to join us, you said you'd stopped drinking that thing... yet you were _stronger_ than before... How did that happen? I mean, of course, I guess you were training, but... did nothing happen when you just stopped taking that stuff? I thought it would have some after-effects or something..."

The smile on Aphrodi's face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared when Endou questioned him about the aqua of the gods. It wasn't a memory he had buried, per say...but it wasn't something he wanted to think about either. "It...had after-effects, yeah." For a moment he considered leaving it at that, and not elaborating but after what had gone on between them in the past hour or so he just couldn't do that. He tried to ease a smile back onto his face (fake, of course), but Aphrodi's voice shook all the same. "There was the stuff you saw during the match, but mostly it was withdrawal." The memories made him wince simply _thinking_ about them. "I was the most reliant on them, I think. It took me the longest to get back on my feet." A hint of shame was present in his voice as he continued. "Nausea, mostly. And weakness like I'd never felt before." Though it was difficult given his position on the ground, he gave a bit of a shrug. "Though that lasted the longest because I'd become so used to what the drink did. But once I - we - were better, we trained." Simply 'trained' was a bit of an understatement - the team had lived and breathed the sport since they stopped drinking the aqua of the gods. It was a group effort by all of them to get back to where they were while on the drink, and while it was painful, and seemed impossible at times (how could humans reach the level of gods?), most of them had made it.

Endou regretted having asked that almost immediately as he could feel Aphrodi beginning to shiver; not to mention the tone of his voice when he began to speak. He turned on his side, wrapping both his arms around the other and pulling him into a close hug, beginning to run his palm up and down on the blond's back. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked," he murmured apologetically. "That must have been terrible..." He wasn't sure what else to say, so he just kept Aphrodi there, waiting for his shaking to subside, pressing his cheek against the other's. "But you made it," he finally said with a slight smile. "And you became even stronger... You're really awesome, Aphrodi."

Endou's touch was comforting to the blond, though he felt a bit bad for seemingly making him worry. "It's fine. You couldn't have known." Of course he wouldn't blame Endou for something like that, it was an innocent question. As they lay there, he relaxed bit by bit, hoping they could stay that way for awhile. His embrace was warm, and he felt safe, safer than he'd felt in awhile. At Endou's compliment, he blushed - as arrogant as it seemed, it was nothing Aphrodi hadn't heard before, but coming from Endou it meant so much more. And the fact that Endou had specified that it was _his_ power he found awesome, not the strength from some drug...that made all the difference. "Thank you, Endou. For everything," he added, the words coming from seemingly out of nowhere, but they'd been on the tip of Aphrodi's tongue all night. And it still didn't feel like enough - he wanted to repeat them again and again, enough to make Endou realize that he had made it.

The brunette merely laughed a little bit, tightening the embrace furthermore. Perhaps somewhere deep down, he felt that that was what Aphrodi had been hoping for, but frankly - he himself had no desire to let go either. His fingers eventually ventured in between Aphrodi's locks of hair ( _damn, he has a lot of it_ , he thought idly, wondering slightly how it never got in the way when he played soccer), caressing it gently, twirling strands around his fingers playfully, till he could feel goosebumps beginning to appear on Aphrodi's arm around his neck. He grinned into the blond's shoulder, but didn't stop what he was doing. "There's no need to thank me for anything, really," he said softly. "All I'm doing is telling the truth." And that was true on more than just one level, too. Not just this one instant; it was the same thing he had done back then - telling them the truth of how awful Kageyama's ways were by playing his hardest in soccer against them. He'd always just been telling the truth - that was just the way he was.

Without realizing it, he let out a contented sigh. Reaching over, he grabbed Endou's free hand - the one that wasn't buried in his hair - and gave it a gentle squeeze, slipping his fingers between Endou's calloused ones. "Well, then thank you for that." It was odd to Aphrodi that Endou didn't see honesty as something worth thanking someone for - he guessed that Endou automatically assumed that it was a given. He supposed that was partially why he cared so deeply for Endou; because of how open and kind and trusting he was, and how much faith he had in his friends and others. He felt lucky to be laying here with him, immensely lucky and impossibly grateful in a way that words couldn't even begin to cover.

"Well, uh... You're welcome?" Endou really didn't understand. In the end, in his eyes - even if he knew some people viewed him as naíve -, there was nothing to be gained by lying. Even when it had been about Kidou's future, about him being able to live together with his sister or not... Endou hadn't been able to choose lying; whether through words, or through soccer, it didn't matter. And he had known, even back then, that Kidou wouldn't have appreciated it either. He wouldn't have appreciated a win that he hadn't given his all - that was the main difference between all of them and Kageyama. Endou let out a sigh himself, still smiling, but he began to pull away, albeit reluctantly. It was now getting prominently cold, and even if Aphrodi was still fine with the jacket Endou had lent him, the goalkeeper himself was beginning to feel the night's chill, and a cold would have done no good to either of them. "When... are you leaving...?"

"My train leaves tomorrow night," he said. "But the station is nearby, so I should be around until the afternoon, at least." When the two of them lapsed into silence, for a brief moment or two he felt as though he should fill it, but nothing to say came to mind. It was as dark as it was going to get now, and the river and the occasional car over the bridge were the only noises in the night air beyond the boys' breathing. The temperature had steadily been dropping, and the situation was now the reverse as before, Aphrodi noted when he saw Endou's slight shiver. "Here," he said, sitting up and pulling the jacket out from under his back before laying it on Endou's chest with a smile. "You look like you could probably use this back."

Endou flashed the other a somewhat bashful smile. "I could see you off..." His voice trailed away a little. "I mean, the rest of the guys will probably want to, too..." He'd been so caught up in this moment, he hadn't even thought about the rest of the guys... particularly one of them, specifically. It was a good thing it was completely dark now, so Aphrodi couldn't see the blush spreading on his face. His head was spinning when he thought of the promise they had made - and the fact that _somehow_ , not only had it not felt wrong back then, but it still didn't, even despite the fact that he... wasn't supposed to. He sat up, and wrapped his jacket back around himself, zipping it as high up as he could, sinking his chin behind the top of the collar. No matter how much he thought about this, nothing in his head made sense. Maybe he was just too tired.

"That would be really great," Aphrodi said, returning the smile. However, a few seconds later he tilted his head, looking at Endou with a questioning gaze. There had been a sudden change in the goalkeeper, and he couldn't place what it was beyond that it was there - something a little surprising for Aphrodi, as he usually was fairly decent at reading the emotions of those around him. A yawn (it had been a long day, and unsurprisingly it was catching up with him) broke his concentration, and he decided to leave the issue for another time. Perhaps it was nothing and he was just imagining things, or maybe hours of practice were catching up with Raimon's captain. Whatever it was, Aphrodi stopped himself from worrying too much. He'd always been a bit of an overthinker, and if it was anything truly serious, he'd trust Endou to tell him. He rested his head on Endou's shoulder, yawning once more as he leaned over. "I'm glad we could…you know, spend time together like this." The kisses had been a nice bonus too, but even just being in Endou's presence would have been enough.

Aphrodi's head on his shoulder was enough to jolt Endou out of his reverie - he could sleep on this, think it over later, decide what to do, or say, or how to make it better, or if it even _needed_ to be made better-... whatever. He chuckled at the blond, raising an arm to run his fingers through the long hair one more time, before nudging the other in the side. "C'mon, don't fall asleep here, you'll definitely catch a cold like that. Let's just go home, yeah?"

Aphrodi had to laugh a little too at Endou's reaction. He hadn't planned on falling asleep then and there, but heading home was probably smart. It must've been 8:30 or 9:00 at the very least, which meant… "Won't your mom be worried about you?" Aphrodi asked, clearly concerned. If Endou got in trouble for staying out so late, it would definitely be his fault. "Yeah, we should certainly be heading home." Or in Aphrodi's case, to the relatives he was staying with for the few days.


	2. Morning on the Raimon field

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodi finds himself face to face with a completely unexpected surprise. Whether pleasant or unpleasant... he might be surprised about that, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodi is written by Abby, Gouenji is written by Ronnie.

Though he couldn't explain it to himself why, Gouenji had a certain feeling that he would find Aphrodi on the soccer field of Raimon this morning. It was still rather early, so there was nobody else around, but the striker was glad for that, for once. After having received a rather frantic and confusing phone call from Endou late yesterday night (it had taken him a good half an hour to even get it out of him properly what was going on; then he'd ended up going over to his place at around 11 in the evening to talk), he'd had a lot of things to talk about. For now, he opted to just stand on the stone steps, and watch Aphrodi kick the ball around. He'd found himself staring at the blond numerous times before, but he had never bothered to find out if there was a reason behind it - they'd had more urgent matters on their minds at the time, and, well, there was already Endou, and Gouenji would have felt really guilty if... - Well, apparently Endou didn't. Not much, at least. And strangely enough, the more he watched the other, the more Gouenji could understand why.

Aphrodi had arisen early to get practice in before he headed home, and although the field by the river was most likely unoccupied this early, it seemed appropriate to play at Raimon once more. Sort of symbolic, he thought, since after today he'd be back at Zeus. The thought made him happy and heartbroken at once, but while he was dribbling the ball, he didn't have to think about that. All that mattered while he was on the field was him and the ball and the feel of the wind on his hair as he ran and the dirt beneath his cleats. It was pure, in an odd way. And a little bittersweet, as well. He hadn't been running too hard, or kicking with more strength than he knew the doctors would approve of, but a few weeks of being bedridden had caused him to lose his edge, and he was out of breath already. Take it easy Aphrodi, he thought to himself, and retreated to the bench for a short break. As he sat down, he stood back up almost immediately, waving at a familiar figure across the field. "Gouenji! Good morning!" He called out despite being short of breath.

Hands stuffed into the pocket of his jacket, Gouenji jogged down the steps onto the field, picking up the ball, and giving it a few short kicks into the air before finally stopping it by stepping on top of it, looking at Aphrodi with a solemn expression, as if assessing him. He knew for sure that he wasn't feeling angry or upset - but at the same time, he still didn't know what he _was_ feeling. He also didn't want to hurt Aphrodi's feelings, or anything of the sort - which was why even he was surprised when the first thing that finally slipped out of his mouth was, "So you kissed Endou last night, huh?"

Although he had taken a seat on the bench by the time Gouenji had made his way over, Aphrodi got the distinct feeling that had he been standing still, he would've keeled over then and there. However, as he was seated, all he managed to do was choke on the water he'd just taken a sip of, coughing a few times before sputtering out a confused "What?!" Of course he knew what Gouenji was referring to, but why was the striker bringing it up? And along that line of thought, why had Endou told him? Aphrodi knew they were best friends, but still, was that something you normally told your best friend? "I mean, well yes, but why does it concern you?" Mentally he was conflicted. The words had come out harsher than he expected, but on the other hand, the situation was so bizarre he could hardly come up with a better way to phrase that.

Gouenji had long since realized he'd been way too blunt, but there was no way he could take it back now. He'd gotten answers from Endou, but there were things Aphrodi needed to answer himself, too. "Well, how to put it..." He rubbed the back of his head, rolling his eyes a little bit. "Oh, well, not as if I could be any more blunt than I've already been. You see, Endou and I have been together for a good long while now. Since before I had to temporarily leave the team because of my sister."

Aphrodi's eyes opened wide, and the water bottle slipped from his hand and landed in the dirt. He didn't even move to pick it up. His mouth opened, but nothing came out - he couldn't even begin to find the right words, as eloquent as he could be sometimes. Part of him felt guilty, immensely guilty for what he'd done. Another part of him felt a bit angry, at Endou of all people. If Aphrodi had to pick a single person in the world who he felt as though he would never feel anger towards, it would've been Endou and yet, he was boiling with a mixture of irritation and questions. Why hadn't Endou told him? Of course it would've been a disappointment for him, but better to be disappointed than to kiss someone who already has a boyfriend. There felt like there was something missing from the equation, but he couldn't even begin to wonder what. "I actually…am not sure what to say."

"You've already said more than you needed to say," came Gouenji's cool reply. This wasn't going in the right direction; he wanted to make Aphrodi understand, but he just confused him even more. He sat down on the bench next to him, leaning down to pick up the water bottle, and placing it back between the blond's palms. "Please don't be angry with him," Gouenji said quietly. "This is uncharted territory for all of us, really... but, the thing is, he has feelings for both of us. Me and you, too. And I'm... not upset about it." Pause. "There is just a part of me that wishes this could have waited... until you came back to Raimon again... because you will, right?" He gave a sidelong glance to the other. "Although, I suppose... he wouldn't have missed you any less anyways... so perhaps it doesn't matter either."

Aphrodi looked down at the water bottle that Gouenji had placed in his hands, and then back up at Gouenji. He blinked once, slowly, his eyes full of nothing but confusion when he opened them. "You're not…upset about it?" It seemed like a simple concept, but it was all too complicated, and the fact that it was so early in the morning wasn't helping at all. "I don't really understand," he said after a pause, choosing his words carefully. His pride wasn't worth trying to figure it out without an explanation of any sorts.

Aphrodi didn't understand, but, for Gouenji, who tended to look at things at the most straightforward way possible, the confusing thing was _what_ it was that Aphrodi didn't understand. "I love Endou," he said simply. "If you love someone, you want them to be happy, yes?" Although, he had to admit this really was a little more complicated than that. "That is to say, I don't mean that if he wanted to leave me for you, I wouldn't fight for him, but... he doesn't." He glanced over at Aphrodi, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Yet, you would also be mistaken if you think he's now indecisive. He did feel a bit guilty about going ahead with it all without me knowing, but... this has been going on for a while, and I would have been a fool not to notice. And, when Endou really wants something, he doesn't lie about it. He was quite clear about wanting us both." Gouenji raised his arms, and wrapped his fingers together behind his head. It was up to Aphrodi to draw the conclusions of all that now.

Aphrodi didn't respond for a few moments as he let Gouenji's words sink in a bit. He understood what the forward was saying at face value, but there was a disconnect between what he was hearing and what he really comprehended, or even knew how to compehend. The small smile on Gouenji's face only served to perplex him more - who would smile while talking about how the one they love also had feelings for someone else? And wanting both of them…it made sense, in a way, but it was still an incredibly foreign concept. "Both of us, huh?" He echoed quietly. "And how does he intend for that to work out, I wonder." Worried that he may have insinuated a bit much, Aphrodi went into damage control right away. "I didn't mean to make it sound like…" he trailed off, not really sure _what_ he'd meant to make it sound like. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, neither of us want to hurt him, but he wants both of us, which leaves us at a stalemate of sorts, right?

 _Perfect._ That was the only word resonating in Gouenji Shuuya's mind while Aphrodi kept talking. The smile stayed on his lips; he was hearing exactly what he had been expecting, what he'd been _hoping_ to hear. This was the Aphrodi they knew... the one they'd been looking at for such a long while now. Then again... this also meant that here came the harder part, now. The smile began to wane, then disappeared entirely at the word 'stalemate' - if Aphrodi hadn't guessed that one thing, if it hadn't even crossed his mind, then... he probably wasn't going to like it at all. And the more he thought about it, the more Gouenji had to realize that Endou was right; he knew Gouenji more than anyone, and he should have believed him when Endou had said he knew it was more than just wanting to make him happy. He hadn't only noticed the blond because he was so in sync with Endou, or because they shared everything. It was something more than that, and... Dammit, was he about to create a triangle like that himself? The drop in confidence was sudden and unexpected, and for a brief second, the striker almost wished he had a hairstyle like Aphrodi's - something to hide behind, as he ducked his head. "It doesn't necessarily need to be a stalemate," he said in a low voice.

When Gouenji spoke again, Aphrodi's brow furrowed for a moment, still in thought - and then it clicked, his mouth dropping open (and staying there for a moment before he remembered he was in the middle of a conversation). "Oh. _Oh._ " The concept hadn't even occurred to him before, if he was being truthful. He was certain that without a doubt, the idea of doing that had never crossed his mind even a tiny bit. Though looking at it now, he thought, was it all that unattractive of an idea? After all, both of the two - he stopped his thoughts in their track. That was absurd, wasn't it? Gouenji (and by extension, Endou) must've been crazy to consider something like that. Not that he wasn't flattered by the suggestion and being included, but… Aphrodi was certain his face was a bit red, and he avoided meeting Gouenji's eyes when he looked up, tugging on a piece of hair distractedly. "I see what you're saying. I think. And so does that mean that…you…me?" Aphrodi gestured, hoping that the movement would convey what he couldn't quite get out.

Seeing that he hadn't gotten it first, Gouenji had thought he'd need to say something else to Aphrodi - but he seemed to grasp it finally, and it was so sudden that even he was caught a bit off guard. Not as much as the blond, though, obviously, for Gouenji was sure he'd never heard him stutter in such a way before. It almost made him smile - it would have, if he himself wasn't so nervous for some reason. "I... well..." He could feel his face heat up slightly, but still he kept his eyes on Aphrodi - this conversation _needed_ to happen face-to-face, that was the proper way. "Let's just... make it clear," he finally said, voice dropping low again. "I _would_ agree to it solely for Endou's sake, but in fact, it's _not_ just for him." Jeez, why did he have to be blushing? He suddenly stood up from the bench, turning his back towards the other; perhaps that way, it would be a little easier. "Come to think of it, maybe it's lucky that you leave today, for a while... It'll give you time... to think it over. You don't need to say anything right now." (He _wanted_ him to, but he couldn't make him, and didn't dare to try either.) If it was only Endou... then what could he do?

"Not just for Endou?" His tone was clearly incredulous, and he suspected that the expression on his face was just as much. Even as Gouenji stood up and turned around, Aphrodi didn't look away. Instead, he just stared at his back, trying to make heads or tails of the situation. It wasn't that Aphrodi wasn't intelligent, but when emotions came into play - especially ones like these - things got a bit more complicated, a bit less clear-cut and black and white. However, there was one thing that he was very sure of in this situation. There was no way he could leave with things like this; it was too messy and letting the loose ends stay that way could only lead to more complications. "No. I don't want to…I don't want to leave with things like this." Absentmindedly, and without standing up, he began to move the ball around with his feet, if only to give him something else to focus on while he talked. "If I'm going to decide anything, it needs to be today."

So he wasn't getting the easy way out. He should have suspected as much. Not that Gouenji often chose the easy path if the harder was the right one, and this case applied into that category as well. "Did you think I wouldn't notice how he looked at you? Obviously, I was jealous at first - but then, somehow... I don't know, it's-... too difficult to explain." Originally, it had been because of Endou, yes. It was an effort made for Endou, because how could Gouenji push something away that meant so much to the one he loved? But the longer it went on, the more he realized he cared about Aphrodi on his own, too - and then it was his turn to feel guilty and confused, and now that Endou had decided to take this step on his own, everything was just a huge mess. "What do _you_ think?" he finally asked, turning back to face the other, though his eyes were downcast. "Very well, I'll say it... I feel the same way Endou does." Now that he said it, somehow he felt a little lighter, but still there was one more painful thing about it. "I don't want to make him choose between us, but... judging by your surprise, it's kind of obvious that, for you, it's only him, right?"

Part of Aphrodi felt quite dumb for being so oblivious to everything that had been going on - he'd noticed Endou's feelings for him, but Gouenji? Of all people, Gouenji Shuuya had feelings for him? For a moment he tried to meet the other blond's eyes, but Gouenji was staring at the ground. Aphrodi let out a sigh, his breath blowing his bangs out of the way for a moment before settling back down. This was…heavy, it felt like. If Endou's confession to him the night before had given him a feeling of euphoria, of lightness, then Gouenji's was the opposite; but Aphrodi suspected that it was probably because this meant he'd have to sort out his own feelings regarding the striker. He'd never thought of him in romantic terms. Endou was the only one who'd really entered that line of thought, but he'd be lying if he said he'd never found Gouenji attractive, or caught himself staring too long - but that could all be attributed to being a (blatantly gay) hormonal boy, right? That's what he'd thought before, anyways, but with this opportunity in front of him, the pieces were connecting in a way that he hadn't even thought of before, but had perhaps been there all along, dormant. "I think anyone would be surprised by that, wouldn't they?" He sounded a little insulted, but felt a bit silly for it. "I mean, that's what I thought but…I'm not sure. If it's just for him, I mean."

"I just said it's not, though!" Gouenji finally looked up, and something close to anger flashed in his eyes - but actually, it was hurt. Didn't Aphrodi understand? Endou had always taken these things so easily. He said what was on his mind, and it pulled people towards him, always, all the time. Gouenji wasn't like that - this was hard for him, perhaps the hardest confession he'd ever made. He understood why Aphrodi would find it insulting if he was only doing this for Endou's sake... but he also had to realize: the fact that Gouenji had feelings of his own for the blond meant that his refusal (which Gouenji somehow felt was inevitable at this point, Aphrodi acted so confused, so denying) would break _two_ hearts, not just one.

"That's not what I meant!" Aphrodi exclaimed, a little angry, but mostly just concerned that he'd messed up big time. It was clear by the look on Gouenji's face that he'd misunderstood, but Aphrodi wasn't entirely sure how to phrase it so he'd understand. Pausing for a moment to collect himself, when he spoke again his voice was calm, but also a bit severe. He was trying to convey to him how serious he was about this, and that he understood the consequences his words held. He was used to pressure, but of course this was in entirely different circumstances. "I meant, I thought even listening to this was for him, even considering the idea. But I'm not sure if it's just for him, or if you fit in there somewhere too." The calm he'd managed to gather broke a bit, and agitated, began running his fingers through his hair, tugging on the knots. "I always thought I only had feelings for him, but now you come and tell me this, and I'm not sure how to put this but I think I might…" Trailing off, he hoped Gouenji would understand what he was trying to say, as words failed him.

"If I fit in there somewhere," Gouenji repeated somewhat bitterly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Well, I guess that's one way of putting it..." Instantly, though, he regretted saying that. "Sorry... that was mean. I know that's not what you meant. I know it's sudden... I mean, let's face it, you didn't have many chances to discover how I felt, compared to Endou, with how open he is with his feelings, while I'm just..." He trailed away, unsure of how to even finish that, but feeling that Aphrodi already understood what he'd meant. He glanced up at the blond again, his gaze hardening a little. "This is why I said you don't have to reply now, Aphrodi - but keep one thing in mind: when you do reply, I don't want you to lie. No matter what. I don't want you to lie to yourself about your feelings about me just so things work out smoothly. I don't want you to agree to it out of love for Endou and pity for me. If it's a 'no', I'll understand. And then... well, I'm not sure what then, but something'll still come out of it, and either way..." He could hardly believe himself, but his voice was beginning to crack a little. "I'm definitely going to make sure that both you and Endou are happy in the end."

"I wouldn't lie about something like that," Aphrodi replied, standing up for the first time since they'd begun talking. "I wish there was an easy way to…" He clamped his mouth shut, thinking about how Gouenji had reacted to his 'if you fit in' comment - he needed to pick his words more carefully, but it was hard. Unlike with Endou, the words weren't coming out like he'd been waiting to say them for days, like a dam opened up. They were there, but… Frustrations building up, he suddenly whirled around and kicked the ball across the field, exhaling as he watched it bounce off a tree before rolling back down to the dirt. "You say I don't have to decide anything now, but do you think any of us would be able to go on with this hanging above our heads?" For a moment he debated getting the ball, his one distraction now gone, but decided that he needed to face things head on, both his feelings _and_ Gouenji. "The difference between you and Endou in relation to me is that with Endou, it was like…" He struggled to find a good comparison, but gave up after a few seconds. He needed to be as clear as possible, and mucking it up with metaphors and such wasn't going to help either of them. "With Endou how I felt was obvious …If I'm being honest, since the first match we played - no, since the first ball of mine he caught. But like I said, I wouldn't lie." He looked skyward and took a deep breath. "I think it would be fair to say that…That I do feel that way about you, but it just wasn't obvious. Really, even to me." Though retrospectively (the way their plays seemed to click, the way Aphrodi could ease Gouenji out of his shell a bit and Gouenji knew how to keep him grounded) it should have been easier to tell. Endou was… bright, would be a way to put it, Aphrodi thought to himself. And Gouenji was too, but his light was more subdued, easier to miss - and perhaps that was why it was so difficult for him to arrange his thoughts on this. Endou had always been leading the way (and in a way, he was the one who brought them together), but maybe Aphrodi had always focused too much on him, looked into the bright light - but Gouenji had always been there for him too, hadn't he?

Even though Gouenji had thought he only wanted to give Aphrodi the easy way out by giving him time, as the other replied, asking the question, he realized he was right - neither of them would have been able to carry on with this many things unresolved. Perhaps it was _him_ chickening out. The thought almost made him smile - there weren't many occasions in which Gouenji wanted to chicken out; that, too, only showed how much was at stake right now, from his point of view. Aphrodi was right, he wouldn't have been able to stand _not knowing_. Once again, he was thinking about the time he'd had to temporarily leave the team because of Yuuka being threatened - he couldn't even tell Endou, and, for a while, he loathed himself for it, for putting the burden of it on him, putting faith in it that Endou would unknowingly forgive - but then, the moment Endou smiled at him and raised a hand, telling him to 'make sure to come home', Gouenji had known instantly that Endou _knew_ , without him having to say a single thing. Endou would have been fine in this situation, too - but Gouenji wasn't like that, he was uncertain and shaky, and he just needed to know, and-...  
Aphrodi's words struck him like lightning, as if he'd been punched in the chest. _I do feel that way about you._ Did he, really? Gouenji bit the inside of his cheek, a last, tiny fragment of doubt arising. Wasn't this just what he'd warned him about? Lying, not to him, but to himself? Could it really be, that he'd just realized something like that, only because Gouenji had said it out loud? Perhaps the doubt was only there because it seemed too good to be true, but... it didn't change the fact. He didn't know what to say; in lieu of saying anything, he went to retrieve the ball Aphrodi had kicked away. Touching it already made him feel a little more light-hearted. Soccer had always sort of solved all their problems, hadn't it? Instead of picking it up, he dribbled with it back to where the blond was standing, and only when he finally stopped, giving the other a swift pass, did he ask, "Are you sure?"

Although he didn't expect the pass, or really for Gouenji to retrieve the ball at all, he still stopped it with ease. For a moment he didn't move, just looked at the ball quietly. After a few seconds though, he passed the ball back, smiling at Gouenji. "I told you, I wouldn't lie about something like that." He could see the other's doubt clearly, and he didn't blame him. It was all sudden, and Aphrodi was still having a hard time digesting what was going on truthfully, but he knew that he wasn't lying to himself or Gouenji this time. There was too much at stake to fake something like that, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't even be able to pull off a lie that large. "I'm sure."

Gouenji caught the pass just as easily as Aphrodi had done so seconds ago; almost reflexively, with well-practiced motions, he tossed it up in the air, and then, turning away from the blond, he kicked into it sideways with as much force as he could muster, as if trying to transport all his frustration and uncertainty into the shoot. By all means, it wasn't even coming anywhere near the force of his hissatsu, but it was still dead accurate, and a moment later, the ball landed in the net of the goal at the other end of the field, dropping down and rolling into the corner at the same moment Gouenji let out a relieved sigh. "This really isn't anything either of us is familiar with, I guess," he murmured, but now there was a small smile in the corner of his lips. It was impossible not to believe Aphrodi when he spoke with such conviction in his voice. He wasn't lying. He _really_ wasn't. "When I came here today, at first I thought... that if this is going to work at all, it's going to be because Endou is standing behind both of us..." His smile widened a bit. "After all, that's what he always does anyways... But it really isn't like that..." He looked up, catching Aphrodi's eyes, finally allowing him to see his smile completely. "It's a full circle."

"A full circle?" Aphrodi asked, though he wasn't really expecting an answer. It was more like he was thinking out loud, musing over the words. The mood between the two seemed to finally be relaxing. Finally, Gouenji seemed to believe him, and the smile he flashed Aphrodi made him flush a bit, but more than anything made his own smile grow. The idea that this would work out…it was crazy, yes, and it was no surprise that it was foreign territory for all of them. But it was foreign territory that he was sure they could map out, find way to make it possible.

Gouenji simply nodded as a response. Aphrodi's tone already implied he understood, and that just proved the truth of it even more. It wasn't just Gouenji and Endou, and Aphrodi and Endou, it was also the two of them just _clicking together_ \- that was what they were doing right now. And although the moment the idea popped into Gouenji's mind, he almost recoiled, a second later, he was already relaxing, and allowing it to fill his mind: all that was left to close that metaphorical circle was to _seal it_. And what better way to do that, than...? With a deep breath, he stepped to Aphrodi, finally pulling his hands out of his pockets, and raising one to cup the blond's cheek in it. The smile was still on his lips right before he pressed it against the other's.

He hadn't expected Gouenji to kiss him (only hoping for it), and there wasn't much he could to except melt into it. Oddly enough, though his own arms were already wrapping around Gouenji's neck, the only thought that Aphrodi was distinctly aware of thinking was 'Why am I never the one to do these things first?' But despite that, he didn't mind too much, or really at all. After a few seconds, he pulled his lips away to catch his breath, smiling at Gouenji. He leaned forward again, his arms tightening a bit as he pressed his cheek against Gouenji's. "Well," he said, a bit flustered, but mostly happy - close to euphoric. "That was surprise. A nice one."

Though at this point he really wasn't expecting refusal, it was still the best feeling in the world when Aphrodi kissed him back. His arms wrapping around his neck gave Gouenji an odd feeling of security, and even after they pulled apart, he felt as if his heart was about to jump straight out of his chest, even though he could keep his face from heating up (miraculously). When he was pulled into a hug, he didn't resist either; he tightened his own arms around Aphrodi's waist, and lowered his head till the tip of his nose was touching the skin of the blond's neck, taking in his scent. He felt oddly light-headed, an entirely unusual kind of happiness overtaking him. It was the same he'd felt when him and Endou had first confessed, except, in a way, even more intense. And before he could have begun feeling guilty about that, he realized it was because of _both_ of them; of the fact that he, too, could have both - that they all could have each other, in the end. "Think of it while you're away," he muttered. It sort of just slipped out - he didn't mean to make Aphrodi feel guilty about leaving, but... it would also have been a lie if he said he wasn't going to miss him, too.

Aphrodi didn't move when he replied, instead staying in the comfort of the embrace. "I'm not really sure what else there is to think about, really," he mumbled into Gouenji's shoulder, laughing a bit. He'd made up his mind for sure - it wasn't going to be easy, but all three of them knew that, didn't they? And after all… "I love you," he said quietly. "Both of you." He would miss them, that was for certain, but Aphrodi, while never being a particularly optimistic type, was certainly not going to be pessimistic about this situation. And perhaps being away from them would make the times they spend together when he returned much more worth it, make them all the more special. There were butterflies in his stomach, but in the best way possible; and the way his heart felt like it was beating a thousand miles an hour somehow made him happier. Because if it meant anything, it was that he was being honest - not only to himself, but to Gouenji and to Endou as well, and that he was giving them all he could of himself. And they accepted him, for all his flaws, and for all the bad history between them; they accepted him while knowing the bad and the good he'd done. They saw when he had pummeled Endou with kick after kick and when he'd lost control, and they'd seen him stand up to Gazel despite the desperate situation and the 'alien's' taunts of his weakness. They knew the damage he was capable of at his worst, and they knew the redemption he'd searched for too. And that was what made him smile the most.

Gouenji thought his heart had just skipped a beat - he hadn't been expecting those words, not so... quickly. Then again, Aphrodi wasn't one to lie, they'd already established that. Still... Endou had said it so easily, too (not that it made the words hold any less meaning to Gouenji), but Gouenji was different; it had taken a while until he was able to repeat the confession, to just say the words out loud, even though by that time, they were already together. (Then again, there had never been pressure for him to say it - he could be sure at all times that Endou just _knew_ anyways.) He opened his mouth, then closed it again, swallowing. He wanted to say it back, and so badly at that, but... he'd never been an expert at this part. (As it had shown by how he'd managed to execute this entire conversation, too... seemingly jumping at Aphrodi's throat only to end up with a confession.) Still, hadn't he held the words on his tongue for a long time now? All the time while he'd been watching, slowly falling for the blond, together with Endou? This, too, was part of closing the circle. "I,... I love you, too." It was a barely audible, shaky whisper, but - it was there.

Aphrodi started a bit when Gouenji returned the confession, it was yet another surprise for him. He knew Gouenji was more hesitant with his feelings than Endou was, and even a bit more than Aphrodi himself was. For a moment he worried that he'd pressured him into saying it too quickly, but listening to Gouenji's words pushed those thoughts out of his head. If the striker wasn't ready, he wouldn't have said them, Aphrodi knew that much. And he knew the words were genuine, just as he knew his feelings were genuine from the kiss, and even just from the way Gouenji looked at him. He turned his head a bit and kissed him on the cheek. He'd been with Raimon for almost 4 weeks (ignoring that two of those weeks were in a hospital), and this was all happening within 24 hours of his return to Zeus. It made him want to make the most of the time they had left together, and try to make up for lost time, the moments they could've spent like this…but then again, it may not have worked out if it wasn't like this. "I'm glad," he said. "For everything. You, and Endou, and the time I spent on this team."

For all the effort he had put into keeping his calm exterior even while there were butterflies all around in his stomach, it was all thrown to the wind when Gouenji felt Aphrodi's lips press gently against his cheek. He flushed a deep red, and, for a moment, he wished he could just shield his face from view somehow. Then again, what would have been the point? He frowned a bit at the words that followed, though, and he pulled away a bit to be able to look in the other's eyes, the blush slowly beginning to fade. "Don't say it like that - it sounds like it's all in the past. Haven't we just made a new beginning?" He ran his fingers through Aphrodi's hair, giving him a smile. "Even if this... _thing_... never happened between the three of us, you would still be considered a part of Raimon now. You've fought alongside us when your help was needed the most - we don't forget things like that. You have a place here, from now on, always." The words were coming directly from his heart; although he'd talked to Endou, he had no idea the captain had said something similar to Aphrodi a day before. These were his own thoughts and feelings - and he was sure that not only him and Endou, but also the rest of the team shared them as well.

Aphrodi had laughed a bit at Gouenji's blush, but stopped when he saw how concerned his words had made him. "That's not how I meant it…" he said softly, but he smiled at the idea of it being a new beginning. He liked that a lot, the idea of it being a new start for them. Gouenji's words brought to mind Endou's from the night before, and hearing them again made him feel warm, and content. Of course he knew how sincere Endou had been before, but hearing them again… meant something different, in a way. It made the realization that he was loved more real, more solid and believable. He looked right into Gouenji's eyes, reaching up and placing a palm on his cheek for a moment before letting it fall around his shoulder again. "I'll be honest though," he said, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "When I decided to join the Inazuma Caravan for a bit, I didn't expect to return to Zeus with a boyfriend, let alone two."

When Aphrodi let his hand drop, Gouenji caught it, and raised it again. He wasn't sure what had just gotten into him, but... he didn't want this moment to end, he didn't want the other to get even out of arm's length, he just wanted to keep him there for as long as he could. He pressed Aphrodi's palm back against his face, and then kissed into the blond's palm, smiling a little, then raising an eyebrow when the other began to talk again. He wasn't quite sure what Aphrodi was referring to with saying that, but it sort of sounded like... "Is that an invitation...?"

It took Aphrodi a moment to catch on to what Gouenji was saying, but when he did, he laughed. "I didn't quite mean it literally," he said. "Not that I'd object to you tagging along," he added slyly. For a moment he considered how his teammates at Zeus would react - but only for a moment before laughing again. _That_ would be an interesting conversation to have, to put it mildly. "I'm sure when Hera finds out he'll want to interrogate the both of you, so you could save him the trouble of a trip." He could tell that Gouenji didn't want the moment to end, and Aphrodi felt the same. It felt comfortable, just standing close to him like this.

Originally, Gouenji had been half joking, but now that Aphrodi was replying him seriously, he found himself (somewhat surprisedly) contemplating the idea. They could take a couple of days away from practice, of course, and knowing what feelings Aphrodi had about returning to his old team (Endou had mentioned it in a couple of words), he was sure the blond probably wouldn't refuse a little bit of moral support. "Interrogate us, huh?" he mused, a little smile on his lips. "Considering how the last time we met went, that would be quite a sight..." All right, so maybe that jab was a little unnecessary, but Gouenji... well, to put it simply, wasn't as forgiving as Endou was. Aphrodi had come to them of his own accord, offered himself up, proved to be a valuable support... that was more than acceptable for redemption. The rest of them, Gouenji knew _nothing_ about, aside from what they'd done to _all_ the teams they'd matched against (even if on Kageyama's orders). Either way, if there was to be an interrogation, it might as well be from both sides.

"Hera is…" Aphrodi trailed off, unsure of really how to describe his friend. Hera was a handful, all of his friends from Zeus were…though none of them were quite as keen on keeping an eye on Aphrodi as Hera. Which he appreciated, of course, but when he found out about the developments (which was a 'when' for certain, not an 'if') there was no telling what the reaction would be. The brunette was thankful to Raimon, the whole team was, but… "Well, you summed it up pretty well. It would be quite the sight."

Gouenji could tell that Aphrodi was becoming a little distressed over the thought. He bit down on his lower lip for a moment - perhaps it was a bad idea to go, after all? Then again, the blond just said eventually they'd want to talk to the two of them, if they got to know they were with Aphrodi, so this was making it easier. Gouenji allowed a light smile to cross his lips, almost cheeky. "Don't worry, I'll be nice... If they will be as well." That, and Endou would most likely keep everyone in line anyways.

Aphrodi raised his eyebrows, his heart skipping a beat. "So you're serious about coming with me?" It was sudden, and he hadn't even meant to invite them; but then again, everything had been sudden, hadn't it? "Don't you guys have to stay with the team?" For a moment, he wondered where they'd be able to stay, but his house was large enough for two extra people, wasn't it? And already his mind was wandering to the availability of train tickets for them, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue if they were lucky. "…Won't the others wonder why you've suddenly decided to come with me?" He was worried that it came off as though he was trying to make excuses for them to let him go on his own, but it was the opposite. More than anything he wanted to spend more time with them, like this, but he wanted it to go well.

"Why, weren't you?" The smile began to wane a little as doubt settled in, the more Aphrodi talked, the deeper it becoming. "We don't _have_ to, if you'd rather we didn't..." More than anything, he was just (once more) completely confused about what Aphrodi actually wanted. "Of course, we can't stay all along, especially if you plan on going home as well... or so Endou said... but we can take a few days' break... Frankly, after all that's happened lately, out of everyone, it's Endou who deserves a break the most..." He couldn't help but smile again at that thought, but then he sobered up again. "As for the others, I expect Endou will tell them." He laughed a little, and wrapped his arms around Aphrodi's waist, pulling him close again. "That part cannot be helped, I'm afraid. If nobody else, Kidou would figure it out the very moment he sees the three of us in the same room. He did with me and Endou."

"No, I'd really love it if you came," he said hurriedly, seeing that Gouenji had taken his words the wrong way. Aphrodi didn't have the heart to tell him that he didn't literally mean them coming back to Zeus; but the misinterpretation seemed to have been a positive for once, if it did lead to them coming with him for a short bit. "I'm sure their reactions will be interesting," he said with a bit of a laugh, gratefully leaning into Gouenji's touch and wrapping his own arms around the other blond. The worry of whether it would bug anyone on Raimon (or Zeus, really) crossed his mind, but he shook off those thoughts - did it really matter?


	3. Before Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All that's left to do now is let Endou know about what he's gotten himself into - a journey to Zeus. (And to play a practical joke on him, because it wouldn't be Aphrodi otherwise if he didn't want a little bit of revenge.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, Aphrodi is written by Abby, Endou is written by Ronnie.

Gouenji dialled Endou's number as soon as he left the field, but the captain didn't pick up. The striker sighed, and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Endou probably left it at home; he had to have already left for practice. Then again, they couldn't go to practice if they really were going to go with Aphrodi; they needed to pack stuff for themselves at home! In any case, he was going to do just that. Meanwhile, Endou was indeed coming to practice, being the first to arrive, and changing into his uniform. He was incredibly surprised to find Aphrodi sitting on one of the benches and staring idly at a mud-stained water bottle. Wasn't he supposed to be at home packing?

Aphrodi looked up at the sound of footsteps, giving a quick glance at Endou before turning his attention back to the waterbottle. He let a moment pass - timing was everything - then stood up to face him, his carefully-crafted expression somber. Perhaps it was just a bit mean to do something like this, but Endou had kept everything about him and Gouenji private yesterday, so wouldn't this be fair? "Gouenji and I just spoke," he said, clipping his sentence and saying no more. He kept his auburn eyes locked with Endou's, trying his best to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards.

Well, _that_ wasn't what Endou had expected - so much so, that it made the greeting he'd been just about to say freeze into his throat right away. He would have loved if he possessed something like _subtlety_ , but there was no mistaking how deeply red his face instantly went, and how his mouth just fell open, but without a sound coming out. Of course, he'd known that Gouenji was going to talk to Aphrodi too, but he hadn't expected it to have happened _already_. And from the face Aphrodi was making... it seemed that it didn't go nearly as well as the two of them had been hoping for. Endou's throat constricted as he thought of how down Gouenji probably felt now. He glanced down at his feet, trying to find his voice. "I... I see." He tried a smile, but it was rather weak. What was he supposed to say? Just apologize?

Aphrodi, although he did feel a tad guilty about the whole situation, was having more difficulty holding back a laugh than telling Endou what was really going on. Part of him wanted to reach over and hug him, and let Endou in on the joke, but why not play along with this for a bit longer? Where would be the fun in letting it end so soon? As soon as Endou looked up from the ground again, Aphrodi crossed his arms, looking just as grave. "And what do you have to say for yourself?" He nearly choked at his own tone of voice; he was trying to sound stern and serious, but managed to come out sounding like a reprimanding adult instead.

Well, it did seem that was the only thing he could possibly say. "Uhm... I'm sorry, Aphrodi..." he muttered, eyes once more falling to the ground. He felt a bit pathetic - but, then again... he wasn't going to just back out of it, regardless of what came out of it. After all, his reasons had been honest! He looked up again, this time managing to look a little more determined himself. "I didn't mean to hurt you... I really didn't. And I did mean everything I said yesterday! I... guess it sounds really weird, huh? That I'd have feelings for more than one person... I thought it'd be better this way because I didn't want to overwhelm you..." That sounded like an excuse, even if it was true. "... and also because I _really_ didn't want you to refuse me." The goalkeeper rubbed at the back of his head, giving the blond a sheepish, but rather sad smile. "I screwed this up big time, didn't I?"

As soon as Endou started talking, the frown Aphrodi had been trying so hard to keep up slipped away, and a small smile replaced it, though he did his hardest to make it as unnoticeable as possible. Perhaps he could've gone on a bit longer with it all, but Endou's words were so genuinely worried he couldn't. The goalkeeper's eyes were on him, but he kept talking even as Aphrodi's expression softened, and when he gave Aphrodi that smile, somehow managing to still be hopeful and sad at the same time - he just couldn't keep it up anymore. "Endou," he said quietly, his voice a bit cheeky. "I'm kidding." Lightly pushing Endou's chin up so he didn't have to bend down, he brought their lips together for a moment. When he pulled back, the smile wasn't hidden at all anymore. He wrapped his arms around the goalkeeper's neck and pulled him close, mumbling an apology into his shoulder. "Sorry. That was a little mean."

"Kidding? Kidding what?" Endou was suddenly uncomprehending again; especially when Aphrodi just kissed him all of a sudden - although he didn't hesitate to reciprocate -, and then pulled him close. "You mean you didn't talk to him? Then how did you-... Or did you-... _What_?" He was beginning to understand that things were better than he had thought, but he still didn't understand. "So you're not angry with me? What happened with Gouenji?"

Still holding him close, Aphrodi laughed a bit at his confusion. "Of course I'm not angry with you," he replied. "That's what I was kidding about." How things went with Gouenji would be a little trickier to sum up, especially considering how confused he was during the majority of their conversation. But Aphrodi decided to give it a try anyways, pulling back a bit to look in the brunet's eyes. "I'm fine with it. With Gouenji and you. Don't worry," he said, kissing him on the cheek again. "I'm not angry at all." He'd been a bit upset earlier, when he first found out about Gouenji and Endou - but when it came down to it, he understood why Endou hadn't told him the whole story the night before. And if he was being honest to himself, as he'd promised to be, he knew that it wouldn't have come out this way if Endou _had_ told him then.

When Aphrodi finally confirmed that he really wasn't upset, Endou couln't help himself - he just leaned forward, and kissed the blond again, this time with much more intensity than the comforting one Aphrodi had given him. It was full of his overflowing joy and happiness, his palms trailing up the blond's back to pull him even closer. "Thank you... so much..." he murmured against the other's lips, smiling now without the sadness. "I... did it for both of you, you know... or, all three of us, I guess... I mean, even if I knew you'd be okay with it... Gouenji had to say his part himself, y'know? Nobody would have liked someone else to make _their_ confession." Endou knew fully well that Gouenji talking to Aphrodi himself was the only way to make sure Aphrodi knew Gouenji's feelings were genuine towards him, and not only for Endou.

Although he hadn't expected the kiss, nor being pulled closer again, the blond reciprocated both happily, Endou's infectious smile making his own grin grow and his face flush a bit. "I know," he replied, his voice quiet but clearly happy. "I know," Aphrodi repeated. He knew Endou would understand him and believe that he was genuine in his feelings, but he said it twice because it gave _him_ comfort. He wanted - no, he needed - Endou to understand that he knew why he'd kept it a secret, and that any hurt he'd caused the midfielder wasn't enough to qualm how happy he felt now. And…"I almost forgot to tell you, but you should probably go pack."

And Endou understood it fully, just as how Aphrodi wanted it - it also made him immensely happy; as happy as he wouldn't even have thought he could be. Everything had worked out! It was almost impossible to believe - yet it was true. It also explained why Aphrodi was still at the field - but then, where was Gouenji? Endou hadn't met him at the changing room, and he wasn't on the field either... Surely he wasn't going to miss practice, right? "Uh, what?" His mind was so occupied with the mystery, it took a moment for the blond's words to sink in. "Pack what? I have all my training stuff here..."

"Like I said, I forgot to tell you, but Gouenji and you are coming back to Zeus with me for a few days," Aphrodi replied casually. The idea had seemed bizarre at first, but once Gouenji had agreed to it (though the invitation wasn't really intentional) it had begun to seem like a completely natural idea. "So we don't have to say our goodbyes this afternoon!" A corner of his brain was thinking that perhaps it might have been beneficial to wait a bit after Aphrodi had ceased teasing Endou to spring the news about the trip on him, even if it was just a few minutes. But it was a bit late to realize that, and the plans were already set.

"Coming... back to... What?" Endou was so dumbstruck he actually let go of Aphrodi, blinking at him in utter confusion. "When did we decide-... I mean,..." He was just babbling now. He quickly fell silent, trying to gather his thoughts. The idea itself wasn't bad at all, of course. It was just really sudden. "Did Gouenji come up with that?" he asked hesitantly, beginning to chew on his bottom lip. He really liked the idea... but could he really just leave the rest of them here? Then again, Aphrodi said a few days. That could work... they could continue training in that time without him, too.

Aphrodi let out a slightly nervous laugh, unsure of how to answer Endou's question. "I guess you could say it was Gouenji's idea. Kind of…" Endou seemed uncomfortable, but mostly looked confused. "You're okay with it right? Gouenji said he thought it would be fine if you took a few days off from training, and I think it would be a good idea." It would give them an opportunity to work this all out, instead of him leaving scarce hours after it finally came to some kind of a beginning, and Aphrodi would get a chance to see all the people closest to him at once - Zeus and the two Raimon boys.

Aphrodi suddenly seemed nervous, and for _one_ fragment of a second, Endou contemplated getting back at him for his earlier teasing - but he just wasn't like that. "Of course I'm okay with it! They'll do fine without us for a little while..." He reached out and took one of Aphrodi's hands, lacing their fingers together, and giving them a squeeze. His face brightened, as if only now realizing what all this meant. "... so we get to be with you a bit longer! _And_ meeting your friends!..." Pause. He'd said the day before that he knew they weren't a mean bunch, but the thought of meeting them with what was going on now... was a little intimidating.

The blonde gave Endou's hand a gentle squeeze back, a small sigh of relief escaping him. He didn't expect to be let down, but knowing that the chances were higher for this to work out certainly lightened his mood. Seeing the slight fall in his captain's expression when he mentioned meeting Zeus both saddened and gave him a slight sense of amusement. Nobody on his team had been kind towards Raimon during the match (understandably), but most of them were just as thankful as Aphrodi was. And while he didn't blame Endou for having a bit of hesitation about seeing them again, he wanted all of them to get off on the right foot. "Don't worry, none of them bite," Aphrodi said teasingly, leaning closer to Endou again.

Endou laughed a little, and gave Aphrodi a quick peck on his cheek. "Well, I hope not!" he replied cheerfully. "But, you know what would be great?" His eyes were having a special shine to it; that kind he only had when it was about his one true passion. "Playing with you guys again! I mean, if we're already there anyways... It'd be nice to kick the ball around together without them trying to break bones, right?" He only realized what he'd just said once it was out. He hadn't meant to sound like that, but... well, facts were facts. "... Sorry."

Aphrodi froze up at Endou's words. It wasn't much of an exaggeration to be honest, but he felt himself relax at the apology anyways. "It's fine, don't worry about it." Yes, it stung him a bit to hear the truth spoken so bluntly, especially about his friends, but he knew Endou hadn't meant it to hurt him like that. "A game would be fun," he said after a moment, the forced smile relaxing into something genuine. "I'm sure they've been practicing, so it would be interesting to have a bit of a rematch, wouldn't it?"

Endou couldn't help but tug Aphrodi to himself again, extending his apology with a few further cheek kisses. He really shouldn't have phrased it like that. He'd told Aphrodi just half a day ago that he didn't believe the Zeus players were bad. (He just hoped they wouldn't be hostile either.) "A rematch, huh?" he repeated, smiling. "With you on whose side?" And _now_ , he was teasing.

The question did make the blond think a bit (though he could definitely tell the other was messing with him), and he rested his head on Endou's shoulder quietly while mulling over it. It was a good point - Raimon was special for him, but Zeus was _his_ team, and he was their captain. There wasn't any other way to put it, really, and he knew Endou understood the feeling of needing to lead because after all, he was a captain himself. All the same… "I'll play for both sides," Aphrodi said, laughing a bit, though there was certainly a bit of truth behind that. "I guess if I had to choose I'd play with you and Gouenji. Otherwise you'll be horribly outmatched."

"Both?" Endou burst out laughing, but finally let go of the other. He looked at Aphrodi with a wide smile, both amused and happy. That was something _he_ would have said. "I've been rubbing off on you a little," he declared - it wasn't even an actual question. It was somehow a good feeling to know that he had influenced someone he cared about so deeply. He reached out to smooth a lock of blond hair behind the other's ear, smile widening. "I guess I really should go and pack things. I don't even know what my mom will say. And I left my phone at home, so I'm pretty sure Gouenji is anxious..."

Endou's smile left a warm feeling in the pit of Aphrodi's stomach, and he almost wanted to take him by the shoulders and tell him exactly how much Endou had changed him. It _was_ like something Endou would say, and it was something the old Aphrodi would've never said, or even thought for that matter. He didn't say anything though - he didn't need to. "I'm sure your mom will be fine with it, but I can't believe you," the midfielder said with an air of mock exasperation. "I'm sure Gouenji's worried sick." He nearly rolled his eyes. Gouenji would be worried, but both of them knew Endou well enough to know that he could fend for himself.

Endou let go of Aphrodi's hair, blinking at him a little confused. "Now you're mocking me again, right? I can tell by how you're looking at me... And your voice is a bit different..." His grin widened again. "Hey, one day I might actually figure you out!" Still laughing a little, he finally kissed Aphrodi on the mouth, and then turned around without further ado, running off where he'd come from. "Meet you at the station, then!"


	4. Back to Zeus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All three of them knew that telling Aphrodi's friends about their relationship wouldn't be the easiest thing... but who would have thought it would be _this_ hard?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endou and Gouenji are written by Ronnie, Aphrodi, Hera, and the rest of Team Zeus are written by Abby.

Well, this was going to be a strange experience, that was for sure. Yet, neither Endou, nor Gouenji really felt worried at all. That, too, was a little strange; they both felt the same kind of anticipation and excitement - but not fear. After all, in the end, they had each other - and they had Aphrodi as well; for they were both sure of his feelings towards them, even if there was still this one last leap in front of the three of them. (Frankly, Gouenji felt a little stupid about having to ask for approval, after all, they were _teammates_ , not _parents_ , but he went along with it anyways... as for Endou, he just took it in stride, like he did with everything else.) Aphrodi had gone ahead to meet the rest of Zeus, and let them know what to expect. They were supposed to be practicing on the field, so that was where the two Raimon players were headed now, too.

Aphrodi had planned on telling his team, or at least Hera, about the new developments immediately… but it hadn't quite worked out the way he planned. Which in the end, was fairly unsurprising considering Zeus. They were practicing when he'd walked in, just as he had been expecting. Despite them being his team, his roots in a way, that didn't stop a bit of nervousness from bubbling up as he walked in, tightening the belt on the loose uniform to distract himself. His fears were dissipated immediately when he stepped onto the field. Welcome-backs were exchanged, Aporo's normal snide remarks were shushed, and Atena handed over the captain's band with a smile. His plans to tell them about Gouenji and Endou were brushed to the side for a moment as he looked at the small circle of leaves – it could wait, right? As Aphrodi slipped it on, Hera met his eyes, and immediately the brunet picked up on something that had flown over his teammate's heads. Zeus's captain was hiding something, or at least trying to, but before Hera could even open his mouth to question him, Aphrodi was already breaking away from the huddle and waving over two figures who'd appeared on the other side of the field. Hera's grey eyes opened wide when he recognized them, and a combination of shock and confusion set in.

The moment Gouenji's eyes met with Hera's, he could feel that something was not quite right. The amount of confusion in the Zeus player's gaze implied something that didn't quite fit the picture. Negative emotions, Gouenji had expected, but not confusion. His eyes flickered to Aphrodi, but the blond wasn't meeting his gaze. Didn't he tell them yet? But, wasn't that why he'd gone ahead? Jeez. Well, this was going to be awkward. Especially so, as Endou was already leaving Gouenji behind, jogging to catch up with Aphrodi, waving back to him with a wide grin on his face. This could either mean something really good... or disaster. Gouenji wished he knew which. He caught up with them quick enough to hear Endou's enthusiastic greeting as the goalkeeper looked around at the familiar (although right now seemingly hostile) faces. "Yo! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Gouenji steeled himself for an explosion. "Thanks for letting Aphrodi come and help us!" Endou continued, and Gouenji blinked in surprise, finding a small smile on his face. _He always knows what to say at the most crucial moments..._ "He really was a great help, Raimon's grateful!" It would have been perfect - if he just stops there. Gouenji could hardly resist letting out an exasperated sigh, though, when he saw that Endou was finishing his speech with casually throwing an arm around the long-haired blond's waist...

"Yeah, it's been awhile," Hera said, his eyes not leaving the arm thrown around his best friend's waist. What… exactly was going on here? Something felt really off about the whole situation to him, and left a bitter feeling in the back of his mind. Aphrodi felt as though he'd probably screwed up quite a bit in not telling them, and of course, how was Endou to know that. Of course, he could've kept up the act a bit longer and shoved him off, but… well, there was no point to that now. Atena was as calm as usual despite awkward murmurings among the others, and taking things in stride, turned to Endou with a smile as though he wasn't holding Aphrodi like this in front of his team. "I'm glad he was a help. We're all proud of him." Hera, at this point, wasn't even sure where to glare – at Gouenji, who seemed to see his confusion right away? Or at Endou, who was holding Aphrodi like they were… no, Hera didn't even want to think that. No point jumping to hasty conclusions. "Does someone want to explain?" he finally said after a moment's pause, taking care not to let his voice show any sign of hesitation.

"Explain what?" came the matter-of-fact reply from Endou right away. This time, Gouenji really couldn't resist raising his eyes to the sky. "Didn't you already do that?" he added, turning to Aphrodi, his hand sliding away in the meantime, as he finally managed to get a grasp on the situation. He could feel heat rise to his face as he realized what he'd just done; gave them completely away in a manner Aphrodi probably hadn't wanted - but, then again, it was his fault for not saying anything! "Oh, uhm, well..." was all he managed to stutter out, fidgeting a bit nervously, feeling like withering under Hera's fierce gaze. Gouenji really couldn't let that go on any longer. "Truth is, the three of us are together," he said plainly. He would have preferred if it wasn't him having to say it, but once he got there, he was never one to mince his words.

Aphrodi could feel his face heat up, more from the shame of having forgotten or rather, avoided, telling them. Of course, it had a bit to do with the incredulous looks he was getting from his teammates too, but when it came down to it, he _really_ hadn't wanted to make Gouenji or Endou explain it. Though he supposed, at this point it was a bit too late to be worrying about that. "Surprised?" he asked weakly, the smile he'd forced wavering a bit. Although he was looking everyone else head-on, the midfielder was avoiding one person's gaze in particular. And with good reason, because the look Hera was giving him was harsh enough to make even someone used to dealing with his moods shocked. Hera couldn't even pinpoint an exact reason why he was so angry, or why his stomach felt like it was twisting itself inside out. "I meant to tell you guys but…" Aphrodi trailed off, still avoiding looking towards Hera.

Awkward. Really, really awkward. While Aphrodi seemed to look at everyone but Hera, he was the only one Gouenji kept looking at, and with good reason, it seemed. He really didn't like the look on the other's face. The ace striker crossed his arms across his chest, stepping up on Aphrodi's other side - not that he needed protecting, really, but... he still couldn't help feeling that way. Although Hera was still glaring at Aphrodi, like this, he couldn't possibly miss the way Gouenji was glaring back at him. This... really wasn't how it was supposed to go. "Oh, c'mon people!" Endou blurted all of a sudden. "What's with that sort of reaction?! Shouldn't you be happy for him? He said you guys were friends!" With a determined-defiant look, he stepped right back to where he'd been a moment ago, and put his arm back in place. He **loved** Aphrodi. Both of them did. If that wasn't enough, then what would be?

Hera noticed alright, and for a moment he met Gouenji's stare, only to be shocked. He hadn't expected a look like that from Gouenji, of all people – of course the last time they'd met, Gouenji had certainly shown strength, yet he still didn't expect something like that. Biting his lip, Hera forced himself to look away. This time he didn't turn towards Aphrodi, and just looked at the statue on the other side of the field. He'd be thankful for any distraction. Behind him, the whole team seemed to shift uncomfortably at Endou's words. "Yeah, we're his friends but-," Aporo stopped his sentence short, Arute shaking his head at him. Atena, stepped forward and turned to look at the rest of Zeus. "I'm fine with it. If it makes captain happy, I won't argue against it." Aphrodi smiled, a genuine one. "Atena...," he said, but didn't say anything else after a sharp 'tch,' came from Hera's direction.

Endou only had eyes for Aphrodi, and the positive reactions they were getting; however, the blond still seemed stiff, and Endou didn't quite understand why. Gouenji did, though. He took a momentary glance at Aphrodi, frowning. Why wasn't _he_ saying anything? Gouenji would have liked to ask, himself, but was it really his place? Hera was Aphrodi's friend, he had nothing to do with him other than through Aphrodi. Yet, he couldn't just stand still and bear with it, and if Aphrodi was unwilling to get into a confrontation, then Gouenji would do that for him - because, in the end, wasn't loving him partly about protecting him, as well? He took half a step forward, arms still folded, and directed his words right at Hera. "All right, what's _your_ problem? If you have any, spit it out." Uh, all right, that sounded way too hostile. He was just going to get Aphrodi into trouble like that. "If you have any concerns regarding me and Endou, say them, so we can counter it. We can't quite convince you if you don't give us a chance, you know. And," he knew this last part was going to be a little cruel, but he needed to give that last push, "by not giving us a chance, don't you think it's Aphrodi you are making unhappy?"

Oh god, Aphrodi thought as Hera whirled around. He's really done it now, hasn't he? "Gouenji, it's alright, we can talk about this later, or something." The group had fallen silent now, with all eyes on Hera, waiting for him to respond. Hera himself was unsure of what exactly to say – after all, he himself wasn't completely sure just what about the whole situation ticked him off so much. But Gouenji's last words hit him like a slap in the face. Their friendship was complicated, to put it mildly. It was partially born out of Aphrodi's need for someone to boss around, and Hera's lack of a personality pleasant enough for any other classmate to put up with for more than a few minutes. Despite this, they were among the closest on the team, and the thought of hurting his best friend made Hera shrink back a bit. Talking things out was clearly becoming a necessity, but looking back at everyone… "Can we go somewhere else?" he asked quickly.

Clearly, everyone was becoming really uncomfortable at this point. Endou didn't quite understand what was going on and why - after all, if Hera was indeed Aphrodi's best friend, why was he the only one having a problem with his happiness? Or, did he have some sort of grudge against them as Raimon players? They _had_ beaten them, after all. Even if Aphrodi had said they'd 'given him a new power', perhaps not everyone shared that view, after all... For once, Endou decided to just keep quiet and watch things unfold, albeit he did stay close to Aphrodi. Gouenji stared at Hera for a moment longer, then he turned to face the blond as well, giving a tiny shrug of his shoulder. "It's your call, Aphrodi."

Aphrodi bit his lip, thinking. On one hand, it would probably save all of them a great deal of grief if they dealt with this privately. But on the flip side of that, underneath the awkward looks all of Zeus was exchanging, there was a definite sheen of curiosity in their eyes, and Hera would probably have to answer to their confusion at some point too. A glance at Hera though, made his decision a little easier. The forward looked about as distressed as Aphrodi had seen him in a long while. "It's fine. We can go inside," he said. "Atena, can you take care of practice?" Atena raised an eyebrow and smiled, and Aphrodi felt himself relax a bit. Of course he could, he'd been in charge for the past three weeks. Hera was already on his way off the field, and into the tunnel leading to the locker rooms. A nod to Endou and Gouenji and Aphrodi followed him, stopping when they were out of ear reach of the field – and where Hera was leaning up against one of the stone pillars. "So," Hera said, a little unsure of where to start. "I guess we need to talk about this."

Gouenji and Endou both followed Aphrodi, the two of them exchanging glances in the meantime. Endou gave Gouenji a questioning look, but the striker just shrugged, and replied with an encouraging nod that let the Raimon captain know that things were probably not quite as out of hand as they'd looked at first. "I thought we were going to play with you guys," was the only thing the goalkeeper commented in a low mutter, mostly just to himself, but it was rather clear from his voice that he was, even if not much, a little bit upset with Aphrodi for not explaining, and leading them into all this awkwardness Endou had no idea how to deal with (even if, at the same time, he understood why Aphrodi had hesitated so much; it wasn't an easy thing to say). On the other hand, Gouenji found he shared Hera's opinion on the subject; he somehow felt a lot less stiff himself without the entire Team Zeus staring at them in turn, like watching a table tennis match. "Maybe a starting over is what we're in need of," he suggested, his voice a lot less abrasive than it had been a minute ago, when he'd accused the brunet of hurting his own friend. He stepped up in front of Hera, and without further ado, held out a hand. "Although we've met in a match before, I don't believe that counts for much," and frankly, he thought that was the kindest way he could put it. "I'm Gouenji Shuuya, ace striker of Raimon, and that's our captain and goalkeeper, Endou Mamoru." Endou nodded, and offered a smile of his own, rubbing at the back of his head sheepishly.

Hera had been expecting a lot of things, not all of them likely to happen – but he hadn't been expecting this. Hesitantly he shook Gouenji's hand, then pulled back, perhaps a bit faster than necessary. "Hera Tadashi. I'm a striker." _Just like you_ , he thought, but quickly pushed that idea away. The last thing he wanted was any similarities between himself and the blond. It wasn't that he didn't have a lot of respect for the Raimon players. He did, but there was also a lot of a complicated past between them, and if he was being honest, he felt like there was a bit of an unpaid debt on his behalf considering what he'd done to the both of them. And as if things weren't complicated enough, the _both_ of them were now dating his best friend, and he was just finding out about this now and Aphrodi was about as worried as Hera had ever seen him and his head was starting to hurt with all that was going on. Aphrodi noticed, of course, but didn't say anything. The forward was the one who needed to take this conversation by the reins. "So how did this happen?"

Gouenji could feel Hera's hesitation - what Endou could feel from a connected soccer ball, Gouenji could feel from a handshake as well - it was just, he couldn't really tell if Hera had regrets, or the opposite, he had taken some offense _from_ them. He didn't have a lot of time to try to figure it out, though, because the other was already asking the direct question nobody really knew how to answer... and Gouenji found himself at a bit of a loss. He glanced at Aphrodi, but the blond still didn't seem like he had anything to say - then at Endou, who instantly realized the situation (for once). "Well, you know he came to play with us," he began cheerfully. Gouenji bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from interrupting - he knew Endou was probably going to just blurt something again, but, well, it wasn't like _he_ had a better idea. "It would have been impossible not to notice him; I mean, he just walked up to us, after everything that had happened, and plain asked for us to trust him..." Endou turned to Aphrodi to grin at him. "We were the first who acknowledged him, me and Gouenji. That's how, I guess." That wasn't even beginning to scrape the surface, but they had to begin somewhere, after all. "Endou and I had been together before that," Gouenji added quietly.

Aphrodi looked over at his friend with concern. He wasn't sure of what to say, and for the most part, it was because he knew what Hera was feeling. They'd been close for a long time, and were at the point where it didn't take much effort for him to understand the forward's feelings. But something was keeping him from speaking up, even though it would be easiest for _him_ of the three of them to put Hera's fears to rest. Hera, on the other hand was silent for another reason. It was beginning to sink in that they were genuine about this whole thing, and in a way, that made the awful feeling in the pit of his stomach grow. Aphrodi… was one of the strangest people he'd ever met, but was also one of the only people he'd met who had forced him to push aside his jealousy of everyone and everything and allow them to just be friends, on an equal level. Of course, there had been times when the brunet had felt envious of his captain, of his strength and power and ability to accomplish whatever he wanted to, simply because he _felt_ like it - but Aphrodi had also made him feel worth more than any other human being had ever done. And it was mostly just by granting him his presence. Although he knew his worries and envies were irrational (when were they not?) he couldn't let them go - because he couldn't let Aphrodi go. Afuro Terumi had changed him, and was the only person who stood by him despite his flaws and issues and crippling weaknesses, and he didn't want to become second to anyone in his best friend's mind. After all, Aphrodi was the first one who had treated him like he was worth more than the sum of his mistakes. All these thoughts (and more) ran through Hera's mind as he looked up at Endou and Gouenji. "I see," he said quietly, but clearly bitter. "And how do you intend for something like this to work?" He almost regretted the words, they sounded so accusatory - but what was the point of regretting things at this point?

It was a good thing that Gouenji was generally a patient person by nature - even Endou was getting really fidgety by Aphrodi's side at this point, and the striker had to force himself to keep his cool. As much as it sounded like Hera was simply lashing out, Gouenji could feel it was more than that, even if he only had impressions and vague guesses about where the other's line of thought was coming from, and voicing his suspicions probably wouldn't have been a good idea. He really just wished Aphrodi just said something already (and so did Endou), but, then again, Hera wasn't talking to him, he was talking to Gouenji, testing him. Gouenji didn't really like to be tested in that manner. "The only thing preventing it from working right at this moment is your hostility," he finally said in a quiet voice. Hadn't he made himself clear, after all, back at the field, with that one line about Aphrodi's happiness? Yet it seemed all Hera was intent on doing was cause a disruption. Endou stopped fidgeting, and looked up, a sudden determination flashing in his eyes - and somehow, perhaps because he knew him so well, Gouenji knew he was probably going to say something severe; but this time around, he didn't even attempt to stop him. He was tired of going in circles. "It'll work 'cause we _love each other_ ," the goalkeeper stated, in an 'isn't-it-obvious' voice. "Is that what you're so jealous about?" Gouenji bit the inside of his cheek; there went not saying it out.

It was funny, Hera had thought several times before, that some words get so imbedded in your mind, that simply hearing them elicited a reaction, with or without the context. _"Is that what you're so jealous about?"_ Endou had asked, and immediately Hera tensed up, taking in a sharp breath. "I'm… not jealous," Hera said slowly, though his voice had lost all its former resolution. Of course, he was, that was the issue. That was always the issue with him, wasn't it? He hated being surpassed, he hated being replaced, and it was his fear of that that always made him so unlikable, wasn't it? Always on edge, always struggling to catch up and not fall behind. Lying to himself wasn't helping, but damn it if he was going to admit it to them. Perhaps even trying to talk this out had been a bad idea he thought while looking at Aphrodi, and he made a quiet noise of indignation when his captain said nothing. He'd speak for himself then - even expecting Aphrodi to aid him here was foolish. "Did you not consider," Hera began, turning to look Endou directly in the eyes, "that I love him too? Not in the same way that you say you do, but that's why I'm not… just going to…" Suddenly he shrank back a bit, meeting Aphrodi's eyes. The blond still wasn't sure what to say, but he had realized - Hera was only hurting himself here, and he'd be a failure of a friend if he didn't make that right. "Hera…" he got out, and then his words were gone again - for heaven's sake why was he so _bad_ at this?

Endou didn't look at either Gouenji or Aphrodi anymore; now Hera was looking directly at him, and he was looking straight back at him, his eyes still firm, yet not judgmental or refusing. "Of course I did consider!" he replied without hesitation. While he did have a tendency to speak his mind at all times, even if it sometimes got him into a bad situation, sometimes, the very same thing could aid him as well. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could get through, this time around. "That goes without saying! If you didn't care about him, you wouldn't bother questioning us like that! If we thought he wasn't important to you, we wouldn't have cared to _agree_ to it," he added, giving a light smile and a half-shrug. "But, you know, it would just be a lot easier for everyone if you stopped acting like you think we want to hurt you? Because neither of us does. Least of all Aphrodi, but me and Gouenji neither. It's not like we want to get between the two of you, or anything like that..." His voice trailed away, now once again glancing at his two other companions. If only Aphrodi finally said something!

"Hera, it's different." Aphrodi looked at Endou, then Gouenji, then finally to Hera - he'd been quiet too long, and at this point, he was so frustrated with himself (a feeling that he rarely felt) he didn't care too much about whether what he was saying made sense, as long as it comforted Hera a bit. "They aren't you, and you aren't them. That's why it'll work." Of course, his word choice didn't end up making much sense - but he got the feeling that Hera understood, his grey eyes opening wide. Something clicked in Hera's head, though he wasn't entirely sure what it was. But Aphrodi's words, as nonsensical as they were objectively, made _something_ feel a bit more right, he just had that effect. They weren't the same, so… Aphrodi needed all of them? He looked up at the Raimon players, not saying anything to them, and felt the knot in his stomach loosen a bit more. They weren't trying to hurt him or replace him. Rational thought leaked through the jealousy and began to clear up his thoughts a bit - though he still wasn't convinced. It wouldn't happen _that_ easily, after all, not even with Aphrodi's words propelling the change of mind. "Fine," he said, crossing his arms. If anything, his pride wouldn't allow him to let it drop at this point, and the midfielder could tell. But he could also tell that something had shifted for Hera, so he'd let it go along a bit longer. "I'll accept it, but you have to prove to me that you love him." Aphrodi nearly groaned - he'd expected something less childish than that, but a moment later smiled a bit. That was Hera, he supposed. There wasn't any changing that.

Gouenji first blinked surprisedly, and then rolled his eyes. _Seriously?_ How much longer was this going to keep up? "Prove it?" he repeated incredulously. "How exactly-..." "It's fine, Gouenji," Endou cut him off, a mischievous sort of smile beginning to pull at his lips. Gouenji marveled at that - a moment ago, his captain had been serious to the nth degree, and now he was looking like he was about to crack the worst joke of the decade. No... that wasn't right, he thought a moment later... it was more like, Endou looked the same way he usually did when he got to go up against good competition. Like a _really_ enjoyable soccer match. Although Gouenji still wasn't sure what the brunet had in mind, he couldn't help but allow his own lips to tug upwards - _that_ special kind of smile was simply contagious. "I was getting tired of all the talking anyways," Endou continued, and, finally turning away from Hera, he faced Aphrodi. At this point the blond had probably figured out what was about to happen, but even if he hadn't, Endou left him no time to do so. Without further ado, he wrapped both his arms around the neck of Zeus's captain, and kissed him full on the lips. At first, Gouenji only blinked in confusion - who would have thought that Endou of all people would think of putting on a show like this? But, it only took a moment of looking at the two of them for him to realize - and he only hoped Hera could see it too - that it really _wasn't_ for show in the slightest. Frankly, Endou had probably wanted to kiss Aphrodi ever since they'd caught up to him on the field; then they had to go through this entire debacle with the team and then Hera separately... It was clear as sunlight that Endou _really_ was kissing Aphrodi the way he wanted to, conveying both his own feelings in it, and also the way his fingers began sifting through blond locks at the other's neck, it showed it was also his attempt at trying to make Aphrodi loosen up, his frustration to melt away... He really was doing everything he could to make the situation better for all of them - and, at that, Gouenji really could only smile.

Aphrodi had guessed what was about to happen a few seconds after the timeframe when he could do anything about it ended. He'd managed to get out a surprised "En-" out of his mouth before it was covered, and well - he certainly wasn't going to argue with this, especially with the way Endou was kissing him. Of course, they hadn't been together very long, but he was certain it would be pretty hard to top a kiss like this one, and although for a few seconds he could only think about Hera, and how he'd react… well, Endou distracted him pretty quickly, and it was pushed to the back of his mind for the moment. It was such a sweet moment, and there was no way he could refuse it. Aphrodi gave in pretty quickly. Hera, on the other hand, hadn't guessed this would happen in the slightest. Retrospectively he realized he'd pretty much been asking for something like this to happen, but _still_ … Averting his eyes (Aphrodi was his best friend, yes, but there were some limits to every friendship), he looked up at Gouenji. The smile surprised him, and he thought that Gouenji was a little odd for not minding - and then it hit him. That yes, it was odd, and Hera doubted he'd ever _really_ understand the three of them… but it made Aphrodi happy. That much was clear by how the blond had wrapped his arms around Endou in turn, and although he didn't look at the two of them very long before looking back at Gouenji, he could tell that Aphrodi loved Endou, and the way Gouenji was smiling at them made it obvious that he loved them… So he'd accept it. And after what seemed to Hera like an eternity (though it was probably less time than he thought), and Aphrodi pulled away from Endou red-faced yet smiling, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Fine," was all he said, but he knew from the way Aphrodi looked at him that his friend understood what he meant.


End file.
